Tommy Lee Farmer
Tommy Lee Farmer is a convicted American criminal who was the first person in the United States convicted under the Federal three-strikes law.
A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Farmer was the son of a minister and the brother of a college professor. In 1971 he was convicted of second degree murder in the killing of a veterinarian in Sioux City.[1] After having spent most of his adult life in prison, Farmer was paroled and then subsequently arrested for a botched attempt to rob a convenience store in Eastern Iowa. In 1995, he became the first person in the United States to be sentenced under the Three-Strikes Law and received a life sentence. President Bill Clinton considered the Farmer sentencing to be such a landmark decision that he interrupted his vacation to make a press statement.[2][3]
References
- ↑ Montag, Molly (10 April 2013). "Gov. denies reduced sentence for Sioux City man convicted of '70 killing". Sioux City Journal. Sioux City, Iowa. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ↑ Butterfield, Fox (11 September 1995). "In for Life: The Three-Strikes Law -- A special report.; First Federal 3-Strikes Conviction Ends a Criminal's 25-Year Career". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ↑ "FindLaw's United States Eighth Circuit case and opinions | UNITED STATES v. FARMER". Findlaw. Des Moines, Iowa. 18 January 1996. Retrieved 24 March 2018.