In 2008, Bobby Wallace was arrested when police entered a home he was visiting and found cocaine hidden under a couch cushion. Everyone in the house was arrested for possessing the cocaine, although there was no evidence that anyone knew it was there. Mr. Wallace went to trial and pled his innocence, but a non-unanimous jury convicted him. Because he had two prior convictions, prosecutors sought a life sentence, and the judge imposed one. Under today’s laws, based on only two prior convictions, this sentence would be illegally lengthy.
Despite the injustice of his situation, Mr. Wallace earned multiple vocational trades in prison, worked in the prison library, mentored others, and became a trustee. Even from prison he was a source of positivity and wisdom for his family, including his siblings and children. When the law changed in 2021 and allowed him a chance at parole, the parole board applauded his achievements and recommended his immediate release.
He spent 16 years incarcerated.
