DETROIT – After 27 years in prison, White Boy Rick Wershe could be home by Christmas.
A court order from judge Dana Hathaway demands Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy explain why he should not be resentenced. Wershe's attorney insists the new sentence would be time served.
"On an offense that today carries a maximum of 20 (years) with guidelines that would have had him out before 11," said attorney Ralph Musilli.
Even though the Supreme Court threw away life sentences for juvenile non-violent drug dealers, the Local 4 Defenders have learned Prosecutor Worthy is likely to argue Wershe needs to stay behind bars and that the once teenaged drug dealer, who is now 46, could be dangerous to the community.
Wershe, who has served more time than any other non-violent juvenile offender in Michigan, was hoping Worthy would finally side with his release.
"I think she should focus more on what's going on in the city of Detroit, and not a juvenile that got convicted of something law enforcement led him into 27 years ago," said Wershe.
At age 14, police were paying Wershe to rat-out neighborhood drug dealers. When someone he snitched on got suspicious and had him shot, police abandoned him. So he started selling drugs for real and in a year's time he was caught, convicted, and nicknamed "White Boy Rick. Twenty-seven years later, Rick Wershe is still in prison.
"The big question is who wants him in? What's so important that he's still in jail? You got robbers. You got rapists, you got murderers. They're all being let out on parole," said Musilli.
Wershe also was convicted as part of a car theft ring from behind bars. The Parole Board called it minor.
"I voted in favor of releasing him. Why? Because this is too long of a time for what has happened to a 17-year-old with a singular offense," said former Parole Board member Robert Aguirre.
Wershe still owes the state of Florida two years of time for his role in the car theft ring. His attorney thinks they could forgive that time considering his lengthy stay in Michigan. That would clear the way for Wershe to be out before the new year.