Houston County District Attorney Consents to Release of Man Serving Life Without Parole for 1997 Robbery

Houston County DA Eric Edwards signs order to free Jessie James Askew Jr. after 28 years of a life sentence for a non-injury armed robbery.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 7:12 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Telegraph

A Landmark Consent for Sentence Modification

District Attorney Eric Edwards’ decision to sign the consent order marks the first time his office has agreed to modify a sentence originally secured by a predecessor. The order seeks to change Askew’s sentence to "time served," which would trigger his immediate release from Telfair State Prison. While the DA’s consent is a massive hurdle cleared, the final decision rests with Houston County Superior Court Judge G.E. "Bo" Adams, who has not yet set a timeline for a ruling.

The "Trial Penalty" and a Prosecutor’s Regret

The case highlights the controversial "trial penalty," where defendants receive significantly harsher sentences for refusing plea deals. Askew’s co-defendant pleaded guilty and received a 10 year sentence, having since been released. Askew, however, demanded a jury trial and was sentenced to life without parole. Former DA Kelly Burke, who prosecuted the case in 1998, now admits he recommended the maximum sentence out of frustration with Askew’s refusal to plead, calling the resulting three decades of incarceration "unfair."

The Impact of Georgia’s Recidivist Statutes

Askew’s life sentence was made possible by Georgia’s strict recidivist laws, which mandated maximum penalties because he had three prior nonviolent felony convictions. Current DA Edwards pointed out the disparity in these statutes, noting that Askew’s 28 years in prison already exceeds the mandatory minimum for far more heinous crimes, such as aggravated child molestation, by three years. Edwards argued that the decades already served are sufficient punishment for a robbery where no physical harm occurred.