NEW YORK CITY – In 1997, Walter Johnson was sentenced to five life conditions on a robbery conviction when he went to “The King Chuts,” and was known as a notorious New York criminal. But 27 years later, the same judge who locked him in, believed that the former prisoner deserved freedom.
“My only hope was to leave prison with a toe tag,” Johnson told CBS News, sitting beside the judge who first freed him.
A 1996 federal ju umpire convicted Johnson on seven counts including robbery, tampering with eyewitnesses and intent to distribute cocaine.
Last summer, 90-year-old US District Judge Frederick Brock decided to give Johnson a second chance with the Landmark ruling. Life sentence for a particular third criminal offence – outdated and overflexible.
Johnson, 61, was released last October after Brock submitted hundreds of pages of moves seeking an early release in support letters from one of the robbers’ victims.
“It was the best day of my life,” Johnson said.
Johnson is still on a court system-supervised release and if he commits another crime, he will return to prison.
He was a model inmate who managed perfectly clean records, mentored and contributed to prison programs during his 30 years in prison.
“We’re not everyone leaving prison,” Brock told CBS News. “The people like Johnson who showed themselves rehabilitating in prison are the people we put out.”
The Justice Department opposed his release, claiming that Johnson’s rehabilitation and regret were not “extraordinary” attractive enough.
However, departmental debate failed after Bullock encouraged colleagues and more states to consider second chance laws.
Blocks used new provisioning in “First Step Method” The Judicial Reform Act, which President Trump signed a law that helped Johnson release in 2018.
Currently, Johnson lives in a full 180 and used his mobile phone for the first time a few months ago. He is already a social media influencer.
“I’m trying to enlighten people to understand the importance of their freedom, and that’s just one miscalculation to throw away your life,” Johnson said.
Brock said he believes Johnson’s story is one of hope and red.
“And without hope, there’s no reason for people to continue living.”
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Scott McFarlane
