Teen turns down plea deal for 25 years in prison, gets 65 years instead

originally posted by: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

Laws like that exist in many states so it's not shocking. What IS surprising is that the young man's lawyer didn't talk him into taking the plea deal. With good behavior he could have been out on parole in about 6-7 years. When you choose to refuse a plea deal they tend to throw the book at you sentence wise and go for the maximum penalties. If the boy is smart he will appeal the case on the grounds of incompetent representation because any lawyer with half a brain would have persuaded him to take the deal.

You know the guy is a sh!tbag, would have died if he came into my house, BUT his lawyer is totally incompetent to say the least. I mean criminally incompetent...

originally posted by: Zelun
a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

I understand your sensibilities, I really do. In this case, however, the kid had a chance to receive a lower sentence and turned his nose up at it. He potentially could have received 25 years, potential for parole at 10 or whatever, but instead decided "# the police!" "I'll roll the dice." Dumb, dumb move, and I feel sorry for his lawyer for having to put up with his bull$hit.

You don't know that...seems you are just justifying the sentence for your own logic to understand why...OK

As you said "the kid" maybe the lawyer should have insisted in "YOU WILL LOSE AND GET 2+ TIMES MORE YEARS!!" or maybe the kid didn't really do anything outside of tagging long with his buddies and just could not understand that his lack of personal actions still means he carries the baggage of the other four too.

Once again this falls to the lawyer... I'm not willing to write off the life of a 15 year old when no one was hurt outside of the one shot by the police.

originally posted by: toysforadults

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: Xtrozero

I don't think he deserves imprisonment for the decisions of his friend or the consequences issued to said friend by an officer. Seems very heavy handed and draconian.

he shot at the police officer and his "friend" died because the office shot back

65 years is crazy though maybe like involuntary manslaughter

HE DIDN'T SHOOT ANYONE, DIDN'T HAVE A WEAPON!! Geez... His buddy had the gun and shot at the police. The police shot back and killed his buddy, he got 30 years for the murder of his buddy who the police killed in self defense.

originally posted by: Zelun

He made a decision when he chose to rob other people, and he also made a decision to not take a plea deal offered on a silver platter. He made his own bed.

They didn't rob people...they robbed a house... seems the same, but it is not...

originally posted by: truthnlies
a reply to: Xtrozero

is it fair ?? no but is it fair for innocent people to suffer when people break in and cause hell in their lives cause they feel they deserve your hard earned stuff. Play stupid games win stupid prizes

65 years? I would say 10 years for the stupidity, but 30 years for the murder of his friend by the police and 35 years for the burglary?

Next time you get a speeding ticket and they add attempted murder for each person in your car plus the cop. So lets say 15 years per and there is a total of 5 people, I guess it is fair for you to speed 10 miles over the speed limit and get a 200 dollar fine and lets say 75 years consecutive sentence.

Play stupid games get 75 years... enjoy...

originally posted by: MteWamp

It's one less criminal roaming the streets. How does that NOT help society?

Specifically.

Would have been better don't you think if they just shot all 5 of them...think of the money saved, just some stupid black kid...no loss there... right?

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

It will also encourage criminals to shoot cops, if their going to jail for life they have nothing to lose and many will choose to go out in a blaze of glory.

That is the reality isn't it... When they made kidnapping the death penalty I wonder how many kidnappers decided to fight to the bitter end?

A little more insight from someone who lives within 30 miles of where this occurred.

1 ) No way he will actually serve 65 years. He will serve about 5, 10 tops. I know what the story says "20-25 years" before he comes up for parole, but this is Alabama with overcrowded prisons, not federal prison where you serve at least 85% of it.

2 ) The Montgomery metro area is riddled with crime. Murders, shooting, burglaries, robberies. All very common, with the perpetrators ranging from pre-teen to early 20's on average. We have an entire generation of lost boys who grew up with absent fathers in an area with a street culture that glorifies crime. "Oh, he was just young and didn't really mean it." doesn't apply in this case. All participants in this crime had prior felony records.

3 ) Elmore County judges are known for being very strict on criminals, especially Sibley Reynolds. Elmore County residents are known for shooting burglars on a pretty regular basis.

Something has to be done. Crimes need punishment. Maybe this particular case seems excessive to those not from the area, but to those from here, we understand the need for *some* solution to the epidemic.

originally posted by: Xtrozero
65 years

So this black kid who was 15 at the time was in a group of 5 that broke into two houses. They fled the police and one of them named Washington had a .38 and fired at the police who ended up being killed by the police.

This seems like a typically event with no real surprises here.

The surprise is Lakeith Smith, now 18 one of the members in the group ended up with sentence to serve back to back: 30 years for murder, 15 years for burglary and 10 years each for two theft convictions. Under Alabama's accomplice liability law he got 30 years for murder because the cop shot one of his buddies and so he murdered his buddy.

Am I the only one who sees something really wrong with all this?

One thing these near forever sentences prove is that long prison sentences most certainly don't have much deterrent or even punishment value either for that matter.

What they prove however is that long sentences don't do much for anyone apart from the private police, courts and prison system. Privatizing the prison system IMO, is one of the leading reasons for the USA imprisoning more of their population than any other country in the world, no matter how you measure it % of the population or any other measure.

Oh, one other goal long prison sentences do achieve is a contribution to the depopulation agenda because while people are in prison they cannot breed do they? This is likely to be another driver of long prison sentences in the US.

a reply to: Xtrozero

What was the basis of the 25 year plea bargain deal?

a reply to: Azureblue

Alabama's State Prisons are funded by the state, not private.

This is most of the reason they are woefully underfunded. Last time I checked, they are at 165% capacity, understaffed, and underfunded.

Imprisoning people isn't making the State of Alabama rich.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Xtrozero

Smells like an 8th amendment violation to me

Apparently few are interested in the law.
Neither the public or the judiciary.
What does the Constitution have to do with murder?

originally posted by: Xtrozero

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

It will also encourage criminals to shoot cops, if their going to jail for life they have nothing to lose and many will choose to go out in a blaze of glory.

That is the reality isn't it... When they made kidnapping the death penalty I wonder how many kidnappers decided to fight to the bitter end?

I think so, it just makes people like the kid in question look to get away by any means necessary, even if that involves killing someone, which obviously in this kids case he had no intention of doing , however if he knew he would do life regardless ........ Stupid law, made by stupid people

originally posted by: Zelun
a reply to: TinySickTears

You are an ugly person, with ugly sensibilities. A kid died. We tried to give this other kid a break. Are you even American? Laws are laws! Play stupid games, I beg you.

im actually pretty sexy
you know not what you speak of john gotti

a reply to: Xtrozero

There's cases of drunk drivers killing multiple people and only getting 5 - 10 years in prison.

But I can already see the issue here.
Cops were involved and shot at, and the guy is black. Open and shut case in the eyes of the law. Moral of the story, don't be a black kid making dumb mistakes around police officers, you'll end up like this guy.

The laws the same black or white but blacks have a much greater crime rate so they go to prison more. Being stupid doesn't help but oh well. 3 less on the streets.

White guys have been charged under the same statutes in the same area.

Case from 2014

In the course of the robbery attempt, Brooks was shot by the homeowner in self-defense and pronounced dead at the scene, the news release stated.

Because Brooks was killed during a criminal incident in which Wall, Williams and Russell are suspects, all three were charged with murder in accordance with Alabama law, the news release states

The county that the young black men in the OP are from is 54% black, 39% white with a black police chief, black sheriff, majority black county commission, and evenly split city council.

How does racial bias play into this again? Is it just because of the erroneous assumption that everyone from Alabama is automatically racist?

The law books were publicly there and still are, for everyone to check. He made a choice to act gangsta style, more often than not it backfires at some point.

originally posted by: strongfp
a reply to: Xtrozero

There's cases of drunk drivers killing multiple people and only getting 5 - 10 years in prison.

But I can already see the issue here.
Cops were involved and shot at, and the guy is black. Open and shut case in the eyes of the law. Moral of the story, don't be a black kid making dumb mistakes around police officers, you'll end up like this guy.

Or the moral of the story is don't make the personal choice to be a criminal..

Nah you are right..that isn't the problem, its racism.

Sounds like parts of Alabama have serious crime issues which they tried to solve with harsh sentences. Some type of more cost effective solution might include a labor work reeducation program for the unemployed and any able bodied person who could work to reduce crime. If idle hands are busy learning and working, they won't have time to commit crimes and will have some money to buy things instead of being a menace to society. I heard prison costs a lot to taxpayers. I'm not sure of the exact costs.

I'm just saying I believe the solution to high nonviolent crime for an individual should not be life in prison but a work and learning program hopefully with some assistance from business for those who don't have jobs and with no criminal activity. For those convicted of nonviolent crimes, a modified program. Get the criminals working and learning reducing costs to the taxpayer. Goal would be less crime, less cost overall to taxpayers, shorter sentences instead of reading about 65 year sentences because the cops killed your buddy. If every state went that route, we could be doing life in prison if you were speeding 2 miles over the limit and got in a wreck that killed your brother or wife. You were breaking the law that resulted in the death of someone with you.