Court Rejects Avery Appeal

By: The Associated Press

Posted: Wed 10:42 AM, Aug 15, 2012

The Mississippi Court of Appeals has rejected the appeal of a convicted drug dealer who was ordered to serve the remainder of a 30-year sentence after allegedly violating his supervised release.

William Antonio Avery pleaded guilty in 2009 to selling cocaine within 1500 feet of a church in Lauderdale County in 2007. He was sentenced to 30 years, but almost the entire sentence was suspended.

A year later, authorities say Avery violated the terms of his post-release supervision by selling cocaine and felony fleeing.

Avery was sent to prison to serve the remainder of the sentence. He filed a motion for post-conviction relief, but the circuit judge rejected it.

The Court of Appeals upheld that decision in a ruling Tuesday.