bo zimmer found out the later move won't help people already serving time. i grabbed it and loaded it and fired warning shots from the driver's side windows. >> reporter: eric white was 23 years old in 2006. he was leaving a bar when a group of men surrounded his truck. >> the things i did were to protect myself. >> reporter: no one was hurt. he had no criminal history. but a judge sentenced him to 20 years in florida state prison for aggravated assault. >> it is like the wind got sucked out of me. i looked at my parents. >> i could not believe it. i went home and cried all night. >> it was hard. >> reporter: even though no one was hurt or touched, if a jury convicts you of aggravated assault florida's 10, 20 life law requires a minimum mandatory 20 year sentence. that's what happened to white. at the time of sentencing the judge made a point of saying he was bound by the legislator. a guy had a child molestation probation. >> reporter: it has been nine years since the sentence. one that's taken a toll on white's entire family, sister. >> all the christmases

earlier today bo zimmer spoke sentences. >> eric white has served nine to go. he had no criminal background and no one was injured or touched in his case. it is cases like this one that have prompted a group called fam or families against mandatory minimum to advocate for change. i sat down with white at the polk correctional institution. he says his actions were in self defense. the 1020 life law was designed to crack down on criminals who use guns during a robbery or carjacking. more often those people take plea deals. last week governor scott signed legislators passed removing aggravated assault from the charges in the law. director of fam greg newburn says this is a victory but says action is still needed for white's case. >> every day that eric white spends in prison is a tragedy. he makes one mistake, and even granting every fact that the state alleges in this case, assuming he is guilty of everything he said, it is and unnecessarily harsh sentence. it is a heart breaking sentence. it can be fixed. it can be fixed tomorrow. >> representative neil from pol