Jay Weaver's story in today's Miami Herald examines an imprisoned single mother's efforts to overturn her life sentence for her involvement in the execution of a witness in the Willie Falcon/Sal Magluta trials:

Prosecutors made her an offer she shouldn't have refused.

Yuby Ramirez turned down a five-year plea deal for her supporting role in the 1993 murder of a government witness who was set to testify against Miami cocaine kingpins Sal Magluta and Willie Falcon.

But not only was Ramirez convicted at trial -- she was sentenced to life in prison.

Her sentence seems remarkable now because two of the Colombians who organized the hit -- getting paid $120,000 apiece -- have already been released from prison.

Ramirez blames her trial lawyers for the bad advice that led to her conviction in 2001. And the lawyers back her up.

On Tuesday, Ramirez will finally get to make her case to throw out the life sentence. She wants a magistrate judge in Miami to reinstate her five-year plea deal, which would mean freedom for the single mother of two daughters.

David O. Markus has been representing Ramirez pro-bono.