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Friday, April 06, 2018

Teen Sentenced To 65 Years In Jail

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; Jhavarske 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.
from USA today

23 comments:

  1. ...to be served back to back? Hmmm...this guy is gonna die in prison. If it were to be served concurrently, at least, by 10 yrs he might be out on parole.

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    1. His sentenced can still be cut short on the basis of good behaviour!

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    2. Sentence*

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    3. Oyibo people and their holier than thou brainwashing mechanism. You will call it abuse if a parent tries to correct a child when they are still young and obedient. No scolding,beating,etc. Yet,you wait for them to commit a crime at teenage age and sentence them to spend all their remaining lives in jail where they will be raped and face other forms of real abuse. If you can try them as adults,why don't you allow parents punish them as adults when there is still time and window for repentance?

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  2. Crime doesn't pay... Enjoy your ewa in prison..

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  3. Probably thought that the Judge meant 65 months!

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  4. As sad as this sounds, he did it to himself. These Juveniles are the worst to deal with in Jails. They think everything they do is funny. They refuse to stay in School, they run the streets shooting at peoples houses. In Jail, they fight each other a lot.
    He was not even remorseful and all that smiling and what not will remain in his records. When he gets to Prison to begin serving his time, his eyes will become clearer just after a few months amongst grown men because he will not talk crap to them the way he did on the streets. After he gets beaten up a few times, he will start attending all the religious programs the Prison has to offer just to make the time pass quickly.

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  5. Oh... He's gonna waste his youth in jail and he still thinks it's funny. I feel so sorry for him.

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  6. This one na early retirement with no pension. Dem go kukuma give am chieftaincy title for prison...

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  7. Americans, very lousy, razz uneducated bunch of misfits. If nor be gangster life or serial baby daddy na sagging until the whole boxers dey on display, criminality and laziness and their women be exhibiting (unsightly amounts of flesh) while tearing each other’s tracks out over their worthless men. Tufia.

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    1. True Ms. P. It was after l came here that l heard the word dyslexic. You will see a grown Woman tell you to read something for them because they cannot read. The thing shock me sha. That is why a lot of foreigners do so well in the educational system here. Thank goodness for their Music and art industry because a lot of them would not have made it. Agberos everywhere singing and making dirty music and smiling to the banks. Music that is hard to dance to. No matter what, our Naija music still has beat and easy to dance to.

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    2. Chikito, let people who know, speak.

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    3. Wow@ anonymous, you have never heard of 'Dyslexia'? prior to your relocating abroad. Interesting...you should read more.

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    4. Chikito how many Americans do you know? Am not talking of Nigerians who relocated abroad oh.....u always claiming ITK....shut up abeg, oversabi oshi

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  8. I would never accept fault for something I didn't do either. The legal system in the US is totally fckd up.

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  9. He is not even remorseful

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  10. Sorry did I read the same news as everyone commenting here.... this boy should not be going to jail for 65 years. American state laws are messed up, makes no sense at all... it was the police officer that killed his friend. Nonsense!! The laws are out to enslave ppl not to prevent crime. This young boy future has been cut short, his purpose thwarted and we here making rubbish comments. If this was your child would you be saying such things!!

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    1. You don't just fire at a police officer.

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    2. Trust me if it was a white kid, he won’t get this much

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  11. This is really messed up. This is going to waste for 65yrs? Why not send him to a juvenile prison n reform him? !!!

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