Michael Edwards has served 31 years behind bars after he sold a tablespoon of cocaine to his ex-girlfriend back in the 1990s, and he has another 29 years to serve if someone doesn’t intervene.
“This is a matter of human decency. It's not politics. This man has been there for 30 years,” said Jeff Good, a longtime family friend.
Edwards has tried for years to get an early release, appealing to two governors and now asking President Donald Trump to get involved, although his case is a state case and not a federal case.
Michael Edwards has filed paperwork asking for an early release with the Circuit Court of Lee County.
The sentence handed down to Edwards in 1994 was 60 years for a tablespoon of cocaine worth $850. During a clemency hearing, Gov. Ron DeSantis called it a significant sentence, though he refused to release Edwards despite some high-profile calls for Edwards’ freedom. Even the Florida Commission on Offender Review recommended commuting his sentence.
“President Trump and Governor DeSantis have a fairly close relationship. This is not a federal case, but I would think that Governor DeSantis would certainly listen to President Trump,” Good said.
When Fort Myers Attorney Scot Goldberg was asked if he thought getting the attention of President Trump would carry weight he responded absolutely.
“You've seen the president even when it's not under the federal law. He puts pressure on the right people to do the right things or what he considers the right things,” Goldberg noted.
Goldberg has been involved with the case for years, assisting the family.
“I think getting this in front of anybody, specifically the president … once they hear the facts, they're going to say this is a no-brainer,” Attorney Goldberg stated.
Gulf Coast News obtained a hand-written request Edwards filed from prison asking the courts in Lee County to vacate his prison sentence.
“If everybody was on board, I believe they would set the motion for hearing and go in front of a circuit judge,” Goldberg said.
The man who put him away, former state attorney Joe D'Allessandro, says there is no reason for Edwards to be in prison anymore.
“There is nothing gained. Justice has been served,” D’Allessandro publicly stated.
Former assistant state attorney Cynthia Ross sent a letter also calling for Edwards' early release.
Edwards' release date is December 2043. He would be 79 years old.
Michael Edwards today asks the same question he did during a 2014 interview inside prison. “How much more time do I need to do to repay my debt to society?” Edwards asked as he shook his head in disbelief.