In 1991, Atlanta native Darrell Hall was sentenced to life in prison for having two grams of cocaine. But thanks to a newly formed unit of the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, the 52-year-old isn’t only free but has a new job.
Hall was among many who attended a banquet on Wednesday, Jan. 8, to celebrate what’s being called the Conviction Integrity Unit.
The unit will look into some of Fulton County’s convictions to determine if any injustices were committed — in terms of wrongful convictions and unfair prison sentences.
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Hall was released from prison on parole after he served 13 years. He was then locked up on two different occasions after that for the parole violation of not paying the necessary fines.
Paul Howard, the Fulton County district attorney, was one of the speakers at the banquet, which was held at Tyler Perry‘s film studio, and he presented Hall with some wonderful news: Perry had offered him a job and he could soon start working.
Howard earlier had intervened to have Hall released from prison and parole in December before he attended the event.
“Mr. Perry says you can start to work on Monday,” Howard told Hall, who was called to the stage.
The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office also released a statement about the new job and said, “In addition to his freedom, Tyler Perry Studios and Mr. Tyler Perry agreed to offer Hall a job so he can rebuild his life and move forward as a productive citizen of Fulton County.”
Reportedly, if Hall had been convicted today for that same 1991 crime of trying to distribute two grams of cocaine, the court would’ve put him in a drug program.
But the 1991 conviction was the second time he was convicted of a felony, which required a life sentence due to that era’s Georgia laws.
As a result of the lengthy time spent in prison, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Henry Newkirk expunged Hall’s sentence and gave him time served.
Howard hasn’t mentioned what Hall’s new job will be, but Hall said it didn’t matter.
“It’s a blessing,” he stated.
