U.S. District Judge William W. Schwarzer, a Republican appointee, is not known as a light sentencer. Thus it was that everyone in his San Francisco courtroom watched in stunned silence as Schwarzer, known for his stoic demeanor, choked with tears as he anguished over sentencing Richard Anderson, a first offender Oakland longshoreman, to ten years in prison without parole for what appeared to be a minor mistake in judgment in having given a ride to a drug dealer for a meeting with an undercover agent.
U.S. District Judge William W. Schwarzer, a judge with a reputation for imposing strict sentences, surprised everyone in his San Francisco courtroom when he emotionally wept as he sentenced Richard Anderson, an Oakland longshoreman. Anderson, who was a first-time offender, received a ten-year prison term without parole for giving a ride to a drug dealer, which was perceived as a minor misjudgment. The entire courtroom was taken aback by the contrast...
