KaiserDillon Attorneys Jon Jeffress and Bill Zapf Win Release of Client Sentenced to Life in Prison
On October 15, 2021, KaiserDillon client Kevin Williams-Davis walked out of federal prison and returned to his family. Sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for drug offenses in 1980s Washington, D.C., Kevin had served thirty years in prison before winning his release. After serving three years as court-appointed counsel, Jon and Bill convinced the Court that Kevin deserved a reduced sentence based largely on the remarkable life Kevin led while incarcerated, which included developing programs to mentor and rehabilitate other men in prison, all while believing he had no hope for his own release.
Jon and Bill were able to secure Mr. Williams-Davis’s release under the First Step Act of 2018, which they argued gave the Court discretion to reduce Mr. Williams-Davis’s sentence by retroactively applying reforms to crack cocaine laws that had disparately impacted African Americans. Through extensive briefing and oral argument, they convinced the Court that, not only was Kevin eligible for a sentence reduction, but that the Court should exercise its discretion to release him immediately based on his accomplishments and good character during the time he had served, despite the nature of his past offenses. Now free, Mr. Williams-Davis plans to focus his energy on continuing to mentor young men in the Washington, D.C., area.
The case is United States v. Williams-Davis, et al., No. 1:91-cr-559 (D.D.C.). The Court granted Kevin’s release at a hearing on October 8, 2021.
