DOUBLE MURDERER PAROLED INTO RANKIN COUNTY FOR 2ND TIME THIS YEAR - JAMES WILLIAMS III (09/06/24)

Convicted killer James Williams, III is a free man yet again after he was arrested nearly a year ago. Williams was paroled in May 2023 after serving 18 years in prison for killing his father and stepmother when he was 17 years old.

Pearl police charged Williams with a first-offense DUI in October 2023. His court date is September 19 at 1 PM in Pearl Municipal Court.

The Parole Board revoked his parole in November 2023 and ordered him to return to prison for at least one year. Williams sued, arguing the misdemeanor arrest only qualified for a "technical center violation" instead of a parole revocation. Since the arrest was Williams's first post-release offense, he would only serve 90 days in the TVC, hence the lawsuit.

Hinds County Circuit Judge Debra Gibbs agreed with Williams. The learned jurist stated the Parole Board determined that Williams' misdemeanor arrest was a violation of his parole. However, Judge Gibbs said the arrest was his "first technical violation," thus qualifying him for the lesser sentence.

The State conceded in its response the DUI arrest was only a technical violation and not grounds for revoking parole. Since Williams had already served 90 days in prison post-release, the Court ordered MDOC to release Williams "IMMEDIATELY."