MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Tennessee Court of Appeals has reinstated a nearly 163 year prison sentence for a Memphis man who was set free less than a year ago.
Last week, the appeals court overturned a December ruling that set Courtney Anderson free for the first time in 25 years.
Anderson, who’s now in his mid-50s, was convicted of unlawful possession of a handgun and multiple counts of theft and forgery in the late 1990s. In 2000, Anderson was sentenced to 162 years, 11 months, and 29 days in prison. The sentences would be served consecutively.
A Shelby County judge ruled last year that the sentence was excessive and released Anderson on time served.
But after a challenge by the state, the appeals court determined the judge did not have proper jurisdiction and that under the Tennessee Constitution only the governor can commute a sentence.