A man sentenced to life in prison as a teen for the 1997 murder of Corey Pittman in Tacoma could be home in a year after a judge decided to reduce his punishment.
The move to re-sentence Kimonti Carter, now 43, on Friday came in the wake of recent criminal-justice reform regarding adolescents and a 2020 documentary that examined Carter's case through the lenses of poverty and institutional racism.
Carter had just turned 18 when he killed Pittman during a drive-by shooting involving other gang members. A state law passed in 1995 mandated a life sentence for anyone convicted of first-degree murder in connection to a drive-by shooting.
However, the Washington State Supreme Court found last year that mandatory life sentences without parole were unconstitutional for defendants ages 18 to 20. Carter's attorney moved to vacate his sentence within a few weeks.
The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office argued in court filings that the Court of Appeals should review viable resentencing options for the case because Washington does not have a parole system to consider early release. Prosecutors also argued that reducing Carter's punishment to less than life was beyond the Pierce County Superior Court's authority under state law.
Judge Stanley Rumbaugh disagreed. He handed down a new sentence of a little more than 23 years.
Supporters of Carter say he is a prime example of how people incarcerated as youth have the capacity for growth and rehabilitation. Since he was imprisoned, Carter founded a prisoner-led higher-education program called T.E.A.C.H. and been a leader in the Black Prisoners' Caucus, among other advocacy efforts.
People sent dozens of pages of letters in support of Carter's resentencing. Many of them cited learning about him through the film about his case, "Since I Been Down."
"Given Mr. Carter's extraordinary transformation, his commitment to community and his great ability to connect with youth, it is clear that he is ready for release and will better serve our communities outside of prison as the leader for change that he has become," wrote the non-profit Creative Justice, which is led by attorney and advocate Nikkita Oliver.
Carter apologized to the family of Pittman, who was 19 when Carter and four others unleashed a hail of gunfire on Pittman's group of friends thinking they were a rival gang, in court last week, KIRO 7 reported.
"I know the words that I can say will never be able to replace his life, but I want them to know I'm doing everything I can to help people make better choices," Carter said.
The family adamantly opposed the effort to release Pittman's killer early.
The victim's sister rebuffed the notion that Carter's actions were the result of growing up in an impoverished area in close proximity to drugs, gangs and violence.
"We were in the same place, and we made it," KIRO 7 reported she said in court.
"My brother did nothing. Did not have an advance warning. Was not able to protect himself. This murder (sic) fired over 15 shots into the car carrying my brother," Damian Pittman wrote in a victim impact statement filed last month.
"This murderer may not like being in prison (kind of the point.) but he still has a life," Pittman wrote. "My brother life was taken, and with him a piece of me has been missing."
