TRENTON — Two long-term state prison inmates convicted of crimes in Cape May County recently lost appeals.
Armed robber Roland Lewis and rapist Lloyd Hatcher were unsuccessful in bids to challenge their denials of post-conviction relief (PCR) proceedings.
PCR is a procedure whereby a convicted criminal can request that a conviction or sentence be corrected or vacated.
In his PCR request, Lewis claimed his sentence was excessive.
When convicted in 2003 for armed robbery of a 7-11 convenience store in Wildwood twice in one day in 1996, he was sentenced to life in prison under the state’s “Persistent Offenders Accountability Act” or “Three Strikes” law that was enacted in 1995. Lewis had already served 15 years for felonies he was sentenced for in 1988.
On direct appeal, Lewis’ life sentence was reduced to 50 years with 25 years parole ineligibility. Because his sentence was reduced, the appeals court found on June 20 that there was no illegal sentence that required relief.
According to the state Department of Corrections, Lewis is eligible for parole on July 27, 2027 when he will be nearly 70 years old.
Hatcher is serving a life term with 25 years of parole ineligibility for his 1999 conviction of aggravated sexual assault, criminal restraint and burglary charges. Superior Court Judge Carmen Alvarez sentenced Hatcher for his role in the April 27, 1998 home invasion and assault of a 17-year-old female in Whitesboro.
According to reports, Hatcher was a previously convicted sex offender who was released from prison in January 1996 after serving 13 years of a 20-year prison sentence for raping a 76-year-old woman in 1980.
In his PCR request, Hatcher claimed his constitutional rights were hindered by ineffective defense counsel and prosecutorial misconduct. Alvarez denied a PCR hearing on both points noting that his allegations were too vague.
The appeals court June 12 agreed with Alvarez affirming her denial and noting that the “defendant has failed to demonstrate how specific errors undermined the reliability of the verdict.”
The Department of Corrections does not list a projected parole eligibility release date for Hatcher, but does list a mandatory minimum term of 63 years and nine months for his rape sentence.
Hatcher is 49 years old.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com
Lower Township – Who are these people that are obvious experts on trash cans and leaf pick-up? Maybe they don't have any trash to put out or leaves in their yard!!
