Bernard Williams Missouri Cases

Bernard Williams, convicted in 1989, filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus arguing he was wrongly classified as a Class X offender, which required him to serve 80% of his sentences before parole eligibility. He contended the classification relied on a statute enacted after his crimes, violating ex post facto principles. The appellate court granted Williams' petition, holding that applying later-enacted statutes to restrict parole eligibility is unconstitutional and that his claim was not procedurally defaulted despite prior denials. The court ordered the underlying judgment modified to remove the Class X offender designation.