KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Robert Woodall fired what he calls warning shots into the ground during a fight more than 20 years ago. The bullet ricocheted and injured another man’s ankle.
Under Florida’s old "10-20-Life" law, that automatically meant a 20-year prison sentence for firing a gun during an assault — regardless of the circumstances.
After serving 11 years, a judge ruled there had been a procedural error with respect to the jury findings and released him. Woodall returned home, started a landscaping business, volunteered in his community and reconnected with his family.
But, prosecutors appealed, arguing there was no procedural error. The court agreed — and because the new version of the law wasn’t retroactive, Woodall was sent back to finish his original sentence.
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