Quartaviuos Davis never killed or injured anyone, but he will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Davis was 18 years old when he was arrested for a string of armed robberies that took place in the Miami area.
Davis and two others participated in the crimes. Davis allegedly shot at a dog who chased the group during one robbery, and gunfire was exchanged after a robbery of a fast-food restaurant. During the crime spree, no one was shot or injured.
But after the three were arrested for the crimes, the others entered plea deals in exchange for testifying against Davis. Davis was a first-time offender and suffered from bipolar disorder. While the other two defendants received nine years in prison, the judge sentenced Davis to 162 years.
Davis’ lawyers called the sentence “cruel and unusual” since Davis never killed anyone and had no prior offenses. There was also an issue about how Davis and the other defendants were tracked to each robbery.
Police obtained MetroPCS records without ever getting a warrant. Davis’ lawyers argued that his Fourth Amendment rights were violated. He appealed, but the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction. The ruling stated that MetroPCS owned the data that revealed Davis’ location.
In turn, the decision could open the door for law enforcement to track and obtain cellphone, social media, and email records without a warrant.
