This story is based on a 9/10/2000 article in The Eugene Register-Guard and Oregon Department of Corrections data.

Roger Dale Williams Jr., 31, was arrested for the murder of 28-year-old Calvin Keith Schwarz, who was shot in the head with a large caliber handgun.

A look at Department of Corrections data shows that Mr. Williams was convicted for a Theft I (not a Measure 11 crime) committed in September of 1994. He was convicted for an Assault III (not a Measure 11 crime) committed in January, 1995.

Despite these convictions, he was on the street on March 1, 1995, when he committed a Robbery II. Robbery II is a Measure 11 crime, but Measure 11 did not go into effect until April 1, 1995, so Williams was sentenced under the pre-existing Measure 94 system.

Williams spent three years and three months in prison and was released in January of 1999. In September of 2000, he was arrested for the 9/7/2000 murder of Calvin Schwarz.

If Roger Dale Williams had committed his Robbery II one month later, he would have been sentenced under Measure 11 and would be in prison today.

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