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Title: Teen turns down plea deal for 25 years in prison, gets 65 years instead
Source:
MSN
URL Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime ... r-AAvx1hZ?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp
Published: Apr 6, 2018
Author: Marty Roney
Post Date: 2018-04-06 05:15:19 by IbJensen
Keywords: None
Views: 23104
Comments: 112
WETUMPKA, Ala. — A teenager tried as an adult under Alabama's accomplice liability law was sentenced to 65 years in prison Thursday after rejecting an earlier plea deal that recommended 25 years. In a two-day trial in March, Lakeith Smith, now 18, of Montgomery was convicted of felony murder, burglary and theft for helping in the 2015 break-ins of two homes in Millbrook, about 10 miles north of Montgomery. He did not kill A'Donte Washington, 16, of Montgomery, who was part of a group of five accused in the thefts. But several in the group, including Washington, fired shots at Millbrook police officers who responded Feb. 23, 2015, to a call of a burglary in progress, according to officer body-camera footage. The officer that Washington ran toward pointing a .38 caliber revolver fired his police-issued sidearm four times, killing Washington. Smith was accused of being criminally responsible for the acts that led to Washington's death, the gist of Alabama's accomplice law. An Elmore County grand jury cleared the officer who fired the fatal shots; the officer's name was not released. On Thursday, Judge Sibley Reynolds of Alabama's 19th Judicial Circuit Court handed down three sentences that Smith will serve back to back: 30 years for murder, 15 years for burglary and 10 years each for two theft convictions. Smith smiled and laughed through the sentencing, said C.J. Robinson, chief assistant district attorney. Smith flashed a broad smile March 14 as he was led out of the courtroom shortly after the verdicts were announced. “I don’t think Mr. Smith will be smiling long when he gets to prison,” Robinson said. “We are very pleased with this sentence. Because the sentences are consecutive, it will be a long time before he comes up for even the possibility for parole, at least 20 to 25 years.” Alabama's accomplice law states that a person is legally liable for the behavior of another who commits a criminal offense if that person aids or abets the first person in committing the offense. It wasn't immediately known how many states have similar statutes. "The officer shot A'donte, not Lakeith Smith," Smith's lawyer, Jennifer Holton, said during the trial. "Lakeith was a 15-year-old child, scared to death. He did not participate in the act that caused the death of A'donte. He never shot anybody." Other surviving defendants charged in the case — Montgomery residents Jadarien Hardy, 22; Jadarien Jackson, 23; and La’Anthony Washington, 22 — entered guilty pleas to charges of felony murder, burglary and theft, court records show. They are awaiting sentencing. Poster Comment: Ha, ha, ha! Oh, for the good old days before Lyndon Bird's Great Society where boys had fathers and mothers. Lyndon's rotting in hell over his idiocy. Lakeith, A'Donte, Jadarien , La’Anthony. With names tacked onto them like these it appears they are then marked for the rest of their useless lives.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 86.
#9. To: IbJensen (#0)
(Edited)
I know why he was laughing. 25 or 95 years what is the difference. I would laugh too. At least he did not give them satisfaction of asserting his "guilt". If they gave 1000 years sentence you would laugh also. Look he has wrong name and wrong color of the skin and no money for a good lawyer, so what he has to lose.
Perhaps. (You give two possible theories.) Not that they are necessarily the case. Unless you are able to get into the head of a deranged, demon-obsessed murderer. Then again -- why would you "laugh too"?? The guy is only 18 years old. If you're an old man your laugh *might* make a lick of sense. Given his original sentence of 25 years in this day of liberal "justice," it likely would have meant a reality of serving perhaps a quarter (5 years) to half (12-13 years) of the actual sentence, still making him a relatively young man when released. Your theoretical notion of his "satisfaction" cost the perp a 95 year sentence. Now he definitely won't be released for parole after a minimum of 20-25 years. If that fails and the sentence is cut in half, that 40-50 years loses the perp the best years of his life. Talk about incredible sense of stupidity. Ignorance. And just maybe he was *proud* of his dirty deed which just means he's evil. If they gave 1000 years sentence you would laugh also. Look he has wrong name and wrong color of the skin and no money for a good lawyer, so what he has to lose. Why do Communists always blame a system of universal laws and justice, and punitive measures and instead dig up excuses for criminal behavior? Why do you (and your ilk) insist that perps' color and lack of Johnny Cochran and F. Lee Bailey defense teams exonerates and immunizes this punk for committing serious crime? Again, your perspective, sense of proportion, and system of justice and morality is warped. (Unless you believe he "took one for the team"?) That you find little difference between a 25 year sentence or 1000 years is anti-logic. And anti-rational. That 25 year sentence was NOT nearly a death sentence by ANY means. But turning it into the 95 year sentence was close to it. Not that you care -- just as long as YOU can still laugh at justice-served from the freedom of your Lazy-Boy (portrait of Stalin behind you). Do you have a portrait of 0bama on the other wall(s)?
AND.....,he will be getting out of prison as a middle-aged or old-man who has never had a job or even a job interview,and whose only skills are cleaning a prison cell. This middel-agged or old man will also be released into a technological world that even we,who have a LOT more life experience and education than he does or will ever have,would find completely baffling. Chances are he will be back in jail again in less than 90 days because that's all he knows and he is helpless as a free man.
I know a guy who was in prison. He is a decent guy and I completely trust him. He learned welding when he was there. So the individual could learn a trade. Also he didn't murder anyone so it is stupid to charge him with murder. His partner wasn't murdered was killed in self defense. Charge the kid with what his crimes actually we're. That is justice.
Also he didn't murder anyone so it is stupid to charge him with murder. His partner wasn't murdered was killed in self defense. Charge the kid with what his crimes actually we're. That is justice. I agree. That's justice. There's something about climate. The further South one goes in the US, the crazier and harsher the laws get.
That's because of all the yankees some fool let move here. We need a border wall with the north,too. 0ne that now starts in Virginia.
#106. To: sneakypete (#86)
Ain't immigration grand?
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestSmith smiled and laughed through the sentencing
#11. To: A Pole (#9)
I know why he was laughing. 25 or 95 years what is the difference. I would laugh too. At least he did not give them satisfaction of asserting his "guilt".
#45. To: Liberator (#11)
Your theoretical notion of his "satisfaction" cost the perp a 95 year sentence. Now he definitely won't be released for parole after a minimum of 20-25 years. If that fails and the sentence is cut in half, that 40-50 years loses the perp the best years of his life.
#47. To: sneakypete (#45)
#75. To: A K A Stone (#47)
I know a guy who was in prison. He is a decent guy and I completely trust him. He learned welding when he was there. So the individual could learn a trade.
#86. To: Vicomte13 (#75)
(Edited)
The further South one goes in the US, the crazier and harsher the laws get.
Replies to Comment # 86. That's because of all the yankees some fool let move here. We need a border wall with the north,too.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 86.
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