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Amanpour & Co.

A Judge Sentenced Him to Life, Then Fought to Set Him Free

Chris Young was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 22 due to mandatory minimum laws, after a third nonviolent drug-related conviction in 2010. Kevin Sharp was the federal judge who handed down that sentence and who later resigned from his lifelong judicial appointment. He then worked with Young’s legal team to overturn the sentence. Sharp and Young join Michel Martin to tell their story.

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January 5, 2026
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