Judge Agrees to Revisit Life Sentence in 1984 Joliet Murder

A man convicted of shooting a taxi driver to death in 1984 could have a chance for freedom if a Will County judge sides with his attorney.

James E. Walker, now 48, was 17 years old when he shot and killed 29-year-old Charles Davis after robbing him with a 16-year-old friend.

Both men were convicted, and Walker was sentenced to life in prison. His accomplice, Xavier D. Williams, got 35 years, but was reportedly released in 2011.

On Tuesday, Judge Robert Livas agreed to hear a post-conviction argument from Walker's attorney that his sentence is unconstitutional. 

Defense attorney Shobha Mahadev said Walker's case falls under the precedent set by a 2012 Supreme Court decision in "Miller vs. Alabama" that a mandatory life sentence for a juvenile is unconstitutional, according to the Herald-News. The Will County State's Attorney's office, meanwhile, will argue that the sentence was discretionary, not mandatory, so the Supreme Court ruling doesn't apply.

Currently, Walker is ineligible for parole, according to IDOC records.

On March 16, 1984, Walker plotted with Williams to rob a taxi driver, according to the Herald-News. They reportedly made Davis stop in the 1200 block of Clark Street, where Walker killed him with a sawed-off shotgun.