A Mandatory Life Sentence Meets Clemency

Under President Trump, the U.S. Justice Department announced it will pursue tougher criminal charges and tighter adherence to mandatory minimum sentences than during the Obama years. We listen back to a conversation recorded this summer with retired federal Judge Alexander Williams Jr., about the life sentence he was required to impose in a drug case in Prince George’s County -- and with the man he sentenced, Evans Ray Jr., now free on clemency from President Obama. This program originally aired on June 26, 2017.Click here for more information about the Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. Center for Education, Justice and Ethics at the University of Maryland.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472