Michigan appeals court stops Sept. 18 sentencing for drug dealer known as 'White Boy Rick'
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The Michigan appeals court has called a timeout in the case of a Detroit-area drug dealer known as "White Boy Rick," who is hoping to get out of prison after nearly 30 years behind bars.
A Wayne County judge had scheduled a new sentencing hearing for Sept. 18. But the appeals court on Friday stopped the case and extended deadlines to late September for lawyers to file arguments.
Richard Wershe Jr. (WER'-she) is 46 and has been in prison since he was 18. He was convicted of possessing more than 650 grams of cocaine and sentenced to life without parole.
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Subsequent changes in Michigan law have given him opportunities for parole, but his release has been denied. Prosecutors say there's nothing illegal about Wershe's sentence.