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David Afton
Attorney David Afton, the Libertarian candidate you've probably never heard of, is running against incumbent Kym Worthy for the Wayne County Prosecutor job in November, and he has a strong opinion about the long-term incarceration of convicted drug dealer Richard Wershe Jr.
He thinks it's "unconscionable," according to former Detroit investigative TV reporter Vince Wade, who interviewed him. Wade has a website, Informant America, which has advocated for the release of Wershe, 47, calling his long-term imprisonment unjust. Wershe has been locked up since he was a teenager.
Up until recently, Worthy had done everything to undermine Wershe's chances of getting paroled. In August, after years of pressure from the media and Wershe's lawyer, Worthy issued this statement:
Having been deeply immersed in the Juvenile Life Without Parole murder cases for the last six months, I have noted parallels to the Richard Wershe case that have caused me to review the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office position in his case. However, it is important to note that only the Michigan Parole Board determines who does or doesn't receive parole."
It was a big step, but hardly a ringing endorsement for the release of Wershe, who eventually earned the nickname "White Boy Rick."
Wade writes:
Anyone who has followed the saga of Mr. Wershe in these blogs posts and anyone who supports Dave Majkowski’s Free Richard Wershe, Jr. Facebook page knows Kym Worthy is the primary obstacle between Wershe and freedom. David Afton could change that if he defeats Kym Worthy in the November 8th election.
For those who don’t know or don’t remember, last year Wayne County Circuit Court judge Dana Hathaway, the judge assigned to Wershe’s case after his original trial judge retired, reviewed his case in light of recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and the Michigan Supreme Court and she concluded the state’s most high profile non-violent drug case inmate was entitled to have his sentenced reduced to what amounted to time served.
Kym Worthy, Wayne County prosecutorWayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who seems to think her responsibility is punishment, not justice, had a legal fit.
She fought Wershe’s release with everything she had, wasting taxpayer money in terms of legal work against the release of Wershe. She fought it all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court. The high court, in an amazing display of collective cowardice, decided not to hear the case even while it has been freeing prisoner after prisoner under one of its own rulings known as the Lockridge decision. In a craven display of spinelessness, none of the Michigan Supreme Court justices signed the non-decision regarding Wershe.
Wade writes that the local media and Kym Worthy have ignored the candidacy of Afton, who says this about the Wershe incarceration:
“I actually don’t see any basis for it. It appears his punishment and his sentencing is far disproportional to not only what he did but to other people who have done similar, quote unquote, ‘crimes.’”
“It appears to me that there’s definitely an argument that he deserves a second look also because he was a juvenile.”
Investigative reporter Vince Wade in 1990 in Detroit.“There’s a reason we have a distinction, juvenile versus adult. Juveniles do lack sound judgment. There’s a reason we don’t let juveniles enter in to contracts, so to me, it’s unconscionable that they would be treated the same as an adult for a crime of this nature.”
Afton isn't likely to win, considering Worthy's popularity in the county, nor will the Wershe issue likely change the course of the race.
But Wade writes:
This is the exact opposite of Kym Worthy’s position. As far as she’s concerned Rick Wershe is buried alive and she is doing all she can to keep it that way. He caused problems for her political and personal allies and this is her way of maintaining the vendetta that has continued for nearly 30 years.
If you think it’s time for Kym Worthy to go earn a living doing something else, David Afton is the option.
