Appeals Court Upholds Florida Man's 1,000-Year Sentence

An appeals court has upheld the 1,000-year prison sentence of a Jacksonville man convicted of raping three women.
 
The Florida Times-Union reports 48-year-old Arthur O'Derrell Franklin was convicted of 20 felony charges including multiple counts of armed sexual battery, kidnapping, armed robbery and aggravated assault. He was 17 when he committed the crimes.
 
A judge retained jurisdiction over one-third of Franklin's sentence, meaning he had no chance of parole for 333 years. Franklin argued the sentence was unconstitutional after a 2010 Supreme Court Case held that juveniles can't get life without parole for non-homicide crimes.
 
The 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee ruled Franklin's sentence can stand because he can be eligible for parole now that the judge agreed to relinquish the veto power over possible parole decisions.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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