Three Baltimore County judges Tuesday dramatically reduced the controversial 30-year sentence given to a young man for writing two bad checks.
Circuit Court Judges Michael Finifter, Mickey Norman and Ruth Ann Jakubowski lowered the sentence for Andrew Fisher, 24, from 30 years to 18 months. He must begin paying more than $27,000 to two companies upon his release from prison.
“I?m so glad,” said Fisher?s mom, Ruth. “Thirty years is a long time for 24-year-old.”
Having served about six months in a Hagerstown prison, Fisher now has about a year remaining in his sentence.
The state National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and attorney general?s office opened investigations into whether race played a role in the sentencing of Fisher, who is black, by Baltimore County Circuit Judge Patrick Cavanaugh, who is white. The sentence was first reported in The Examiner.
Fisher owes about $23,000 to A-1 Security System, and its owner Nancy Fish, who in March installed a state-of-the-art home security system in Fisher?s Woodlawn-area apartment.
“I wanted to get something nice,” Fisher told the judges Tuesday. “… It was overextravagant.”
But when he went to pay, he faced a problem: He didn?t have enough money.
“We trusted him,” said Jonathan Fish, Nancy?s husband. “He was a very good talker.”
Fisher told the judges Tuesday that he believes someone stole checks from him ? causing his bank account to be depleted.
“… I didn?t know what to do when someone steals checks from you,” Fisher said.
The 18-month sentence is higher than state sentencing guidelines, which call for probation to one year behind bars.
Fisher?s mother said he?s going to have to work his tail off when he gets out from prison to pay the companies back.
