>> Anchor: HE WAS PART OF O.J.
SIMPSON'S DREAM TEAM.
NATION'S MOST RENOWNED
ATTORNEYS.
NOW DERSHOWITZ WEIGHS IN ON THE
CASE OF WHITE BOY RICK.
>> HE SERVED FAR TOO MUCH TIME
ALREADY FOR WHAT HE WAS
CONVICTED OF DOING.
>> Anchor: BY NOW YOU HAVE NO
DOUBT HEARD THE STORY OF WHITE
BOY RICK.
LOCKED UP 28 YEARS AGO AT 17 FOR
STILL BEHIND BARS TODAY.
>> Anchor: DEFENDER KEVIN
DIETZ FLEW TO NEW YORK TO MEET
WITH ONE OF THE COUNTRIES
BRIGHTEST LEGAL MINDS TO FIGURE
OUT WHY RICK WERSHE IS STILL IN
PRISON.
>> THIS IS THE CASE THAT I WAS
APPELLATE LAWYER.
YOU DO NOT GET MANY CASES WHERE
REVERSAL OF THE CONVICTION MAKES
FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK
TIMES.
>> Reporter: ATTORNEY
MEMORIES.
O.J. SIMPSON, MIKE TYSON, PATTY
HEARSE, JIM BAKER.
LETTER CLINTON SENT IN FINAL
DAYS OF OFFICE.
>> TWO YOUNG PEOPLE SAME PAGE.
BILL CLINTON, AND YOUNG GUY
NAMED ALAN DERSHOWITZ.
>> Reporter: WE WENT TO NEW
YORK CITY, BIG APPLE TO TALK TO
ONE OF THE BIGGEST LEGAL MINDS
IN AMERICA ABOUT MICHIGAN'S
LONGEST SERVING NON-VIOLENT
DERSHY.
HE EXAMINED THE COURT BLEEDING
ANDED IT DOES NOT ADD UP.
HE CANNOT SEE ANY REASON WHY HE
SHOULD BE BEHIND BARS.
>> THIS IS A TERRIBLE INJUSTICE.
>> Reporter: HE SOLD COCAINE
BUT 17 YEARS OLD.
NO RECORD OF VIOLENCE.
DERSHOWITZ SAID THAT MICHIGAN IS
TREATING HIM WORSE THAN A KILL
ENGINEER THE IDEA THAT HE IS
KEPT IN JAIL BECAUSE OF
SOMETHING THEY KNOW BUT WON'T
SHARE WITH HIM OR GENERAL PUBLIC
IS COMPLETELY ANTAGONISTIC TO
AMERICAN PRINCIPLES.
>> Reporter: WERSHE ONE OF THE
BEST INFORM ANTS OF ALL TIME.
HELPING FEDERAL OFFICIALS PUT
BAD GUYS AWAY, INCLUDING DIRTY
COPS AND COLEMAN-YOUNG'S
BROTHER-IN-LAW AND NIECE.
AND WERSHE IS PROMISED
COOPERATION WOULD EARN HIM FAVOR
FOR RELEASE.
THEN THE FEDS DOUBLE CROSSED HIM
BARS.
INFORMANT.
YOU RISK YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU
THE GOVERNMENT.
>> Reporter: DERSHOWITZ SAID
HE SHOULD SUE THE GOVERNMENT FOR
BREACH OF CONTRACT.
>> WHEN YOU'RE AN INFORMER
THAT'S A JOB.
AND PROMISES ARE PLAYED.
ENFORCEABLE.
>> Reporter: SOME SAY WERSHE
SHOULD BE WHERE HE IS BECAUSE HE
CRUDE UP IN PRISON GETTING
CAUGHT UP IN CAR THEFT RING.
DERSHOWITZ SAID THAT'S MINOR AND
HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS LONG
INCARCERATION.
>> LOOK FOR ANYTHING EXCUSE TO
DO NOTHING.
AND THIS CONVICTION PROVIDES
NOTHING.
>> Reporter: WHY IS HE STILL
BEHIND BARS?
DERSHOWITZ SUSPECTS IT IS
POLITICS.
HE SAID UNITED STATES SUPREME
COURT HAS LET WERSHE DOWN.
>> VIOLATION OF THE SPIRIT OF
NOT THE LETTER OF THE CRUEL AND
UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT ISSUE.
THIS SENTENCE HAS SO MANY
PROBLEMS ONE WOULD HOPE COURT
WOULD LOOK AT IT.
>> Reporter: PRESIDENT PUSHING
TO RELEASE JUVENILE OFFENDERS
WERSHE CASE.
>> STATE CASE SO PRESIDENT HAS
NO DIRECT POWER TO ORDER THE
RELEASE.
BUT YOU WOULD THINK THAT ANYBODY
THAT WOULD BE LOOKING AT WHAT
THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN LOOKING
AT WOULD SAY, THIS IS THE
PERFECT CASE FOR A RELEASE NOW.
>> Reporter: GOVERNOR SNYDER,
SIDE LINES.
>> NO GOVERNOR HAS EVER BEEN
REELECTED BECAUSE HE PAROLED
SOMEBODY BUT MANY POLITICIANS
>> Reporter: STATE PAROLE
BOARD IS AFRAID TO ACT OR HAS
BEEN TOLD NOT.
TO.
BOARD.
I AM NOT SUGGEST TINGHAPPENED.
BUT WE KNOW THAT PROSECUTORS AND
OTHERS CAN GET TO THEM.
>> Reporter: DERSHOWITZ SAID
IT SEEMED LIKE PROSECUTOR MAY BE
IN PURSUIT OF MAKING A NAME TO
HERSELF INSTEAD OF JUSTICE.
>> TOO MANY PROSECUTORS COUNT
CONVICTION, NOTCH ON THE BELT.
PRISON.
NOT THE JOB OF THE PROSECUTOR.
>> Reporter: WHEN JUDGE
HATHOWAY AGREED TO RESENTENCE
WERSHE THIS YEAR LOOKED LIKE
NIGHTMARE WAS OVER.
>> THIS CASE CRIES OUT FOR
RESENTENCING FOR TIME SERVED,
FOR RELEASE.
TIME.
ALREADY.
DOING.
AS A VERY YOUNG MAN.
>> Reporter: BUT ALREADY KYM
WORTHY OBJECTED AND COURT OF
APPEALS BACKED HER UP.
CANCELING RESENTENCING.
NOW THE MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT
WILL DECIDE SHOULD WERSHE BE
RESENTENCED OR LEFT TO WROUGHT
WAITING ON A PAROLE BOARD THAT
REJECTED THE RELEASE OVER AND
OVER AGAIN.
>> ONE MIGHT HAVE THE HOPE THAT
THEY WOULD SEE IT IN CON TEXT
AND SAY TO THEMSELVES, MY GOSH,
YOUNG MAN.
DRUG OFFENSE.
DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
>> Reporter: ALAN HAS AGREED
TO ASSIST RICK WERSHE'S ATTORNEY
SAYING INJUSTICE LIKE THIS NEEDS
POSSIBLE.
KEVIN DIETZ DEFENDERS.
>> Anchor: INTERESTING IDEA
THAT HE WOULD SUGGEST HE SUE THE
CONTRACT.