KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In 1996, a robbery that turned deadly captured Knoxville's attention and the attention of people across the state. A Black 16-year-old boy was sentenced to 51 years in prison, even though courts found he never pulled the trigger.
His 20-year-old accomplice shot and killed a person at a RadioShack in Knoxville, but Almeer Nance was convicted of murder as well. He is now serving 51 years in prison. His accomplice was sentenced to life without a chance for parole. Another co-defendant who was also 16 years old got the same charges, but she only served around a year in prison.
The case sparked calls for changes in sentencing laws across the state. On Wednesday, advocates gathered to talk about the sentence, watch a documentary about a similar case in the state, and discuss changing the law.
"This system is cruel or unusual," said Jonathan Harwell, who works in the Knox County Public Defender's community law office.
State law says that any person found guilty of first-degree murder must serve a mandatory 51 years in prison before they have a chance at release — including minors.
"Which is a fancy way of saying, 'Has no chance of ever being released in their actual lifetime,''" said Harwell.
He is pushing for a change in the law. He said that Tennessee has the longest mandatory prison times for juveniles convicted of murder out of any other state. Across the U.S. no states explicitly require juveniles to serve mandatory life sentences.
"It's done everywhere else in the country and we think it should be done here as well," he said. "I have asked the Tennessee Supreme Court to declare this unconstitutional."
Nance is now 43 years old, and his mother is fighting for his release from prison. Advocates like Community Defense of East Tennessee are challenging the law too, hoping to reunite families. The group also organized Wednesday's event.
The state Supreme Court is already considering a separate case that challenges the 51-year mandatory minimum sentence for juveniles.
"We walk with families going through what we call, 'The Injustice System,'" said Imani Mfalme Shu'la, an organizer with CDET. "I see, a lot of times, people comment, 'Well, you know, they shouldn't have done this, they shouldn't have done that,' without consideration of what that child might have had to go through. Just because you grew up a certain way doesn't mean everyone grows up that way."
The group also said around 77% of juveniles sentenced to life in prison in Tennessee are Black. They also said they represent 17% of the state's population.
A petition to release Nance is also available online, and a full documentary about his imprisonment is available online too.