Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
A man who was a teenager at the time he was arrested on murder and other charges, pleaded guilty this month and avoided a potential life sentence. The man, now 21, pleaded guilty in connection with the shooting death of an 18-year-old man in 2013, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm by an adjudicated juvenile delinquent, the newspaper reported. Both the murder charge and the armed robbery charge have a maximum sentence of life in prison. He was sentenced instead to 35 years in prison in this Jacksonville Murder Case. The murder charge carries a minimum sentence of 25 years on state prison.
There were two people facing similar charges in this Jacksonville Murder Case and the second has not pleaded guilty. He is still awaiting trial, the newspaper reported. Cases like this always lead to speculation that the person pleading first will be testifying against the second defendant. The man’s Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney told the newspaper the plea does not require him to testify in the case against the co-defendant. One key element in this Jacksonville Murder Case is that the man has already been sentenced. Typically, when the deal is contingent on cooperation, the state will ask the judge to postpone sentencing until after the trial in which the person is supposed to testify. This is done so the state still has some sort of leverage over the defendant. If the sentence that reflects cooperation has already been given, there is no incentive for the person to actually testify against the other person in his or her Jacksonville Murder Trial.
If the person isn’t testifying, or the state does not believe the testimony to be crucial to proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, it doesn’t matter when the person is sentenced. From the media reports in this Jacksonville Murder Case, it is not clear which of the two men was the shooter. The man who was sentenced was arrested after police received a tip that he was bragging about being involved in the first murder of 2013, the newspaper reported. He was charged with murder after lab results showed a gun found on him matched the one used in the murder. Our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney represents people charged with all types of crimes – from misdemeanor charges and traffic tickets on up to capital felonies such as murder and armed robbery. Our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney will thoroughly investigate the charges against you or your loved one and provide you with information so you can make the best decision on how to proceed in the case.
If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Violent Crimes Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.