Price's appeal for release can proceed

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- Convicted killer Craig Price's latest appeal for release will take place in Federal Court.

According to The Providence Journal, U.S. District Court Judge William Smith ordered the state to respond to Price's latest appeal.

• PDF: Read Judge William Smith's order

In January, Price filed a writ of habeas corpus petition, asking the court to vacate his contempt-of-court sentence, claiming 25 years is an excessive punishment for the crime.

• PDF: Read Craig Price's written petition

He was charged with contempt after refusing psychiatric counseling on numerous occasions.

In the petition, he claims that his 25-year sentence is "20 to 24 times greater than any criminal contempt sentence ever given in not only Family Court of Rhode Island, but any court of Rhode Island since Rhode Island entered the union."

In December of 2011, Price filed an appeal for post-conviction relief in regards to the contempt charge, but that was denied by the court.

Price, who is currently incarcerated at a Florida prison, was 15 when in 1989 he admitted to brutally murdering four of his neighbors in Warwick.

He was initially convicted as a juvenile and was eligible to be released from prison at age 21.

However, in 1997 a family court jury found Price guilty of criminal contempt of court after the inmate repeatedly refused court-ordered psychiatric counseling. The judge sentenced Price to an additional 25 years in prison, with 10 to serve.