Florida court tosses 80-year sentence for firing gun in air

Williams' life sentence for firing a gun after becoming enraged at four gay men will be reduced. Photo by Doug Kerr.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A man who was essentially given a life sentence for firing a gun in the air after becoming enraged at four gay men will have his sentence reduced.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the four 20-year sentences he received in the case don't have to run consecutively because they stem from the same incident.

Williams was sentenced under Florida's 10-20-life gun law after being convicted of pointing a gun at the men who were whistling and ogling him from a neighbor's Riviera Beach home and then firing into the air several times. Nobody was injured.

The judge who sentenced Williams the law gave him no leeway and the sentences had to run consecutively. An appeals court agreed, but the Supreme Court didn't and ordered that Williams be re-sentenced.

 

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

The Gayly- 3/3/2016 @ 12:22 PM CST