Guilty by Association

The first rays of sun after the darkness of the night, was coming through the old rusty prison cell window at Bowen Mills County Jail in Georgia. Outside, the sun is shining. It’s a beautiful morning, the air was cool and the dew was still on the lush green grass. The birds were happily chirping away to each other, exchanging greetings.

However, standing in the corner of the chilled room, Alexander Campbell was looking at himself in a small oval mirror; his reflection shows every line, every crease that once had replaced a dimple or a smile. He has dark circles under his eyes making him look tired and weary. He shivered just by looking at his appearance, goose bumps running up and down his spine. He wonders if he had aged, he’s only 23 years old but he looks like he’s in his 40’s. He remembered vividly what had happened two weeks ago, upon entering the booking room to start the next interrogation; Officer Sanchez did a number of things before reading the defendant his Miranda rights again. After everything Alexander went through, he knows from the bottom of his heart that the nightmare is not over yet.

Just by staying in this smelly dump, he had the time to notice his surroundings. Alexander had read once in the newspaper that prison cells generally are small, with three cement or brick walls and an open side secured with a steel plate, or more commonly steel bars and some type of door (swinging or sliding). There is usually only one door, which locks securely from the outside of the cell, to prevent escape. Prison cells are typically designed so that none of the fixtures can been broken. This help in preventing vandalism or the making of weapons. The tiny room is usually 6 by 6 feet, and has no flushing toilet. You don’t get much food, but it is enough to survive.

Alexander had everything going for him, a wonderful girlfriend Sarah Astor who believes in him and his talent. He realized without the love and support she had given him throughout the years, he would be lost and forgotten by a cruel, judgmental and narrow-minded society. He wasn’t a rich boy; but he worked like a dog academically and financially. Alexander’s mother became a single parent, after his violent father drank himself to death. The only good thing about his miserable life is that he didn’t have any siblings to worry about.

He is a talented opera singer studying to get his Bachelor of Music; he had won a scholarship to become a professional singer. The degree specializes in offering a voice concentration. The four-year programs must require coursework in liberal arts, solo and ensemble performance techniques, as well as music history and theory. Something extraordinary happens once in a lifetime, now his scholarship is on hold.

As Alexander daydreams about his past, and marvels at the wonders that await him in his future. The door to the cellblock squeaked open, but Alexander didn’t lift his head from his dirty hands. He felt the uncontrolled heartbeat, beating faster and faster as the officer asked him to step out from the prison cell.

“You’ve got a visitor.” –The officer mumbled.

Still with his head down, Alexander obediently follows the officer to the visiting room. Even in the visiting room, there are rules and regulations. For instances: inmates and visitors are subject to video and voice recording while in the visitation lobby and the visitation room. An inmate can refuse the visit, and they don’t have to supply a reason for their refusal of the visit.

As he got closer to his assigned chair, he noticed a petite blonde girl sitting opposite of him. It was Sarah; she had changed her hair color. She wasn’t wearing any makeup and her hair a mass of wild frizz. She appears somewhat troubled and tearful.

“Hi, Angel Face.” – Alexander said, taking his seat across from her, their eyes meet for a moment, he genuinely smiles.

“Hi. How are they treating you?” – Sarah asked, folding and unfolding her handkerchief nervously.

“Well, not bad. I wish I was home with you, instead of sleeping in a 6 by 6 smelly room and the food is unquestionable.” – Alexander remarked as a joke, and continues.

“They took my wallet, my clothes… everything that I owe. Now I’m wearing this gray jumpsuit like common criminal. They even impounded my new car.” – Alexander said, shaking his head, not believing what’s happening to him.

“Don’t you worry about your car; I’ll take care of it. Please tell me what happened. I read the newspaper article and I still can’t believe it. You’re a good person, never got in trouble with the law. Must be a mistake; someone is playing a sick joke.” – Sarah said, getting angry with each word that is coming out of her mouth.

“I’m not sure. One minute I’m driving Brian to the liquor store and another minute I’m sitting in the backseat of a cop car.” – Alexander explained, hitting the table for emphasis.

Sarah reached into her purse and took out a piece of newspaper. She unfolded the sheet of newspaper and started to read it aloud.

“According to the newspaper article, it says here the police arrested two men suspected of robbing a Bowen Mills liquor store at knife point on Friday afternoon. A man entered a liquor store in the 212 N Broad St, Abbeville in Georgia at around 2:30 p.m., brandished a knife and took merchandise, police said. The man then fled the store and got into a car driven by an accomplice. Within minutes, police arrested Brian Johnson, 22 and Alexander Campbell, 23. Both suspects were on probation, police said. Johnson and Campbell have been booked at Bowen Mills County Jail and no injuries were reported.” – Sarah paused and then continues.

“Now my question is: what probation?” – Sarah asked, with a confused expression on her face.

Alexander rubbed the headache from his temple, trying to come up with a good explanation about his earlier crime. He took a deep breath and decided it was time to face the music.

“The year we broke up, soon after… I went to my fair share of parties. I could handle myself between the booze and the girls, but one freezing night everything was spinning out of control. I was in a nightclub with a group of friends, I was intoxicated and I got into a huge fight with this college student. He was constantly picking on me, I politely asked him to stop nonetheless he continued to bug me the entire night. I was leaving the nightclub and he met me outside in the parking out, we exchanged nasty words and then I saw a fist coming out of the left corner of my eye. He nailed me in the side of the face.” – Alexander rubs his hands together with embarrassment and continues with his explanation.

“I don’t even remember what he looks like, but I just remember punching someone. I was beyond angry; do you know the expression: you “see red” when you are angry?”

“Yeah” – Sarah answered, looking stunned at him.

“Well, I do recognize that when anger gets out of control it turns destructive, it can lead to problems. The anger made me feel as though I was at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion. Later on… more like couple of days later when I was in jail, my lawyer told me that I punched a police officer who tried to stop me. I went to the juvenile probation program and served my sentences. I spent time in a residential facility and I did everything that my probation officer told me to do. I followed the law, stopped partying and even gave up on my so-called buddies. That was two years ago.” Alexander stopped talking, taking a deep breath and remembered the crazy life he had left behind, but it seems trouble had caught up with him once again.

“What did you tell me? You should have come to me.” – Sarah said, taking hold on his hands. Feeling sorry for him, just by looking deep into his brown eyes, she knew he’s a good person, with basic values such as kindness and compassion that this world is lacking of.

“I sent an apology letter to the police officer, I asked my probation officer how he was doing, he didn’t know. I just know that I’m so sorry; I wish I could take that day back and undo the mistake I’ve made and for all the trouble I’ve caused. “– Alexander hid his face in his hands, fighting hard not to cry.

Suddenly, thinking about sending him to the slammer, he felt his stomach turn as he came to the realization that this was real. He turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak, he got up from his chair and looked at Sarah, without uttering a word he sat back down, unable to hide his agony.

“Can you believe in this hell hole you need to buy your own daily necessities: like soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo and even writing materials.” – Alexander asked Sarah, feeling even more inadequate after making this statement.

“I know… I’ve already deposited some money to your jail account, so then you’ll have everything you need while still living here. This is the secure way to send funds to you; they don’t accept checks or money order, so I used my credit card. On the day I was deposing some money in your account, the officer explained to me why the inmates need the money inside the jail.” – Sarah paused, taking a deep breath and continues to explain to Alexander the ins and outs of the criminal justice system.

“According to the officer, when a person has been arrested on suspicion of committing a crime in the County Jail, an account is open to safeguard that person’s money as long as the inmate remains in custody. While in custody, inmates may use the money to make purchases such as “toilette articles, writing materials, postage and pre-paid telephone cards” from the Sheriff’s Commissary. Also funds may be added to the account at any time.” – Sarah said vaguely.

Even though they both were looking at each other, their minds were wandering. Sarah cleared her throat before she began to speak and pleaded to Alexander.

“Alexander, please tell me what happened in that liquor store.”

“Brian wanted to buy some booze for a party that he was throwing that evening. He asked me if I could drive him. I said sure, I was going in that direction anyway.” – Alexander shook his head at the memory and persists.

“Brian invited me to go in; I said I’ll wait for him in the car. So he went inside by himself. I didn’t know he was going to steal from the place, I had no idea. The next thing I know, Brian was running toward my car, got inside and told me to go; so I went.”

“Did you notice that Brian had a pocket knife with him?” – Sarah asked.

“No I didn’t. I should have paid closer attention to him. Brian was in and out of my car, agitated. I didn’t even glance in his direction, not even once. We drove in silence. I was nervous because I heard a gunshot and I was wondering where the bullet went, if it had hit my car or what. But Brian just stared out the window and I kept my gaze glued to the road. I know I’m in a deep trouble, but this time is not my fault. Once the officer found out I was on probation for assaulting, I could feel the blood draining from my face, and then my world became a little fuzzy.” – Alexander said, rubbing his neck lightly.

“We have to do something. Even though a crime of low seriousness has been committed and nobody got hurt, you might be incarcerated for sure because this is your second felony.” – Sarah paused, hating herself by giving Alexander the reality of bad situation and proceeded to speak.

“I talked with the lawyer, his name is Steve Butterworth. He told me, the joint bail between you and Brian is $250.000 for charged of misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon and you could be sentenced to serve up to ten years in prison.” – Sarah explained, tightly she pressed her lips together. She won’t cry in front of him. Even though she is strong and independent, it kills her to see him in this awful place.

“We don’t have that kind of money lying around, so you’ll have to stay in here for your second court appearance which will be in two weeks. Hang in there; I’ll try to call you as much as I can.” – Sarah said, caressing his face.

“I’ll get in touch with your family and update them with the news. Last time I talked with your parents, your father mentioned that your mother was under the weather, so I didn’t tell them anything.”

“Do me a favor. Please don’t tell them, let’s keep it as our secret.” – Alexander pleaded. He wishes to keep this bad news from his parents for as long as he can.

“Yes, I think this is a good idea.” – Sarah agreed; moisture fills her eyes.

Just then the same officer who came to get Alexander from his prison cell walked in their direction and announced:

“The visiting hour is over, please pick up your belongings and walk to the nearest exit door. Thank you.”

Sarah nodded her head understanding the request. She stood up and kissed Alexander forehead before leaving the room. There were tears running down from her cheeks as she waved him goodbye.

Once he’s back into his assigned cell, there he sat on his bed wondering what fate has in store for him. Inside of this abyss, time passes by slowly torturing his tormented soul. He constantly had classical music playing in his head, calming him down… to help him suppress his negative thoughts. To Alexander, music is like a magic wand, ready to take his mind off the worries into his private place.

The second court appearance is often times the most frightening. Alexander Campbell was extremely nervous to the point of feeling nauseous. His heart was beating so fast that he could feel his eardrum pounding, a roller coaster ride of emotions which is to be expected.

Sitting next to him, was his lawyer Steve Butterworth, Alexander, dressed in dark-gray prison garb, white socks and blue slip-on sneakers, stared straight ahead without making eye contact with anyone. He listened carefully to all the instructions from his lawyer. His mouth was dry, and his tongue was tied and flustered. At which point he took a deep breath and tried to compose himself.

One of the instructions from Counselor Butterworth is being always polite to everyone. To the clerk or bailiff who checks him in, to the Court reporter if he/she asks him to repeat something, to the DA if they make a statement and absolutely to the Judge or Court Commissioner. Last but not least, always answer, “Yes, your honor” or “No, your honor.”

Counselor Butterworth already made it very clear that he’ll be the one doing all the talking; they met early in the morning to go over the presentation. Alexander turned his chair around, so he could find Sarah in the courtroom. Inside of the courtroom they are not allowed to speak loudly or use hand signals. Even signs were not allowed inside the building, everything was pretty orderly with strict rules. He saw a grim smile upon Sarah’s face; she was sitting on the last row of the courtroom.

Brian Johnson apparently came into the courtroom from a back door and was meeting privately with his lawyer Anthony Rossi. He was also dressed in dark-gray jail garb, his hair is blonde since he’s been in the sun so much, and his eyes were cornflower blue. He was wearing a white brace for surviving a gunshot wound to his left shoulder. He has a worried look on his face and appears burned-out by this whole fiasco. Brian sat on his assigned chair beside his lawyer, avoiding eye contact with Alexander; he wasn’t even acknowledging his presence.

In this court case, Judge Morales is in charge of the courtroom. It is the judge’s job to listen to everything that everyone says in court, and hopefully he would make the right decision. Another part of the judge’s job is to know the law and to decide if there is enough evidence to prove the law was broken.

Several moments later, the bailiff’s voice announced over the PA system: “All rise, the honorable Judge Morales presiding.” The observers stood respectfully and only lowered themselves back into their seats, once the judge had sat upon the bench.

Judge Morales started by addressing the three counselors:

“Good morning, counselors.”

“Good morning, Your Honor.”

Judge Morales took his place on the bench, picked up a file, and read from it into the record.

“These are the case numbers 55B01 and 55B03 one count of assault with a deadly weapon, in the matter of Brian Johnson and Alexander Campbell. Present in the court room are the defendants and their attorneys, the assistant DA Mr. Mitchell, and the probation officer. I believe both counselors of defendants as well as the plaintiff in attendance will be conducting the cross-examination separately.”

“Yes, Your Honor.” – Both counselors and the DA acknowledged the statement.

“How do they plead? Guilty or not guilty?”

“They both plead not guilty, Your Honor.” – Both counselors of defendants answered at the same time.

Judge Morales turned his attention to the defendants and asked:

“How do you plead?”

Alexander Campbell and Brian Johnson pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“Which counselors would like to go first?”

Counselor Butterworth started his statement: “Your Honor, I would like to state to the court that my client is innocent. In his defense, Mr. Campbell was in the wrong place and he trusted the wrong person – a common human error, your Honor.”

Judge Morales hold up his right hand to stop the counselor from talking any further:

“Mr. Butterworth, let me stop you right there. Are you telling me your client is innocent, even though he was the one driving the getaway vehicle?”

Alexander was sitting nervously, his legs were shaking uncontrollably and he was looking over his shoulder couple of times to see if Sarah was still there.

“Yes, Your Honor. I know it looks bad, but my client has no knowledge whatsoever that Mr. Johnson was going to do anything offensive inside of the liquor store, besides buying alcohol. He was doing Mr. Johnson an act of kindness by driving him that afternoon.”

Counselor Butterworth continues describing his client to the court as frightened and depressed, and at times Alexander had spells of uncontrollable crying.

Counselor Rossi stood up and addressed to Counselor Butterworth, mocking him with every word coming out of his mouth:

“That’s so typical of you counselor! Your Honor, the counselor is trying to modify the situation, by portraying his client as an innocent bystander. Does his client not know the party was filled with underage drinkers?”

Counselor Butterworth ignored the question and turned his attention to the court.

“Irrelevant, Your Honor. My client is not the one who went into the store with a pocket knife, ready to hurt somebody. Besides, the only thing that Mr. Campbell is guilty of is by associating with Mr. Johnson.”

“Point taken Mr. Butterworth.” Judge Morales rubs his chin.

Judge Morales turned his attention to the DA and asked:

“Mr. Mitchell, would you like to call your first witness to the stand?”

“Yes, I do Your Honor.”

“Any witnesses who will testify in this matter please stand up and take your oath.” – Judge Morales reminded the court.

“I would like to call my witness Mr. George Stuart to the stand. He’s the manager of the Bowen Mills liquor store.”

“Mr. Stuart, please come up and take the witness stand.”– Judge Morales requested.

A middle-aged man with grey-haired walked toward the stand; he was wearing a navy sharp-looking and well fitted suit. Once he was in the stand, the Judge asked him:

“Please raise your right hand.”

Mr. Stuart removed his right hand from his front pocket and raised his hand, while he placed his left hand resting on the bible.

The clerk asked the witness:

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

“Yes, I do.”

“Please take a seat Mr. Stuart.” – Judge Morales directed.

Counselor Mitchell approached the stand and started his cross-examination.

“Please state your name and age for the record.”

“My name is George Stuart. I’m 45 years old.”

“Mr. Stuart, were you served with a subpoena by the DA to appear in court to testify?”

“Yes I was. I received the subpoena couple of weeks ago.”

“Tell us what happened on the afternoon of May 11, 2012.”

“Well, it was Friday afternoon and I was ready to close up my liquor store. I was finishing cleaning up and putting the money away in a bank deposit bag. I was going to place it inside of my cash drawers and close it with a key, when this little punk came in.”

Counselor Rossi rose and yelled.

“Objection, Your Honor. My client has a name.”

“Sustained.”

Counselor Mitchell turned around and faced the witness.

“Mr. Stuart I know you’re upset, but please just point out which of the young men you’re referring to.”

“That one, sitting beside his lawyer.”

“Please let the record show that Mr. Stuart is pointing at Mr. Johnson. What happened next, Mr. Stuart?”

“I told the young man I was closing up, and if he needs anything he had only ten minutes to buy something.”

“So what did he do?”

“He grabbed one bottle of whiskey and approached the cashier. He was checking for something in his back pocket of his jeans. But instead of seeing a wallet in his hand, I saw a pocket knife.”

“What did he do or say to you?”

“He just smiled at me and asked for money, like we were buddies or something. I told him I already put the money away. He started to swing the knife at me; this is when I pressed the security bottom to call for help.”

“And then?”

“And then, I grabbed my gun.”

“What kind of gun do you have?”

“I have a semi-automatic pistol.”

“What happened next?”

“He grabbed the bottle of whiskey and ran out of the door. I fired a shot at him. When we got outside I saw a black car parked in front of the liquor store. He got in and they drove away, almost running me over.”

“What kind of car was it?”

“It was an old black Saturn.”

“Did you get the chance to see the license plate?”

“Yes I did. I wrote it down once I got back to my store. It’s 7FFG798.”

“Are you sure, Mr. Stuart?”

“Yes I am. The police officer was able to find the car and he apprehended the two young men.”

“Did you see the driver of the car?”

“Yes, I did. He’s sitting over there.”

“Please let the record show that Mr. Stuart is pointing at Mr. Campbell.”

“Thank you Mr. Stuart. No further question.” – The DA concluded.

Judge Morales wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, while asking Counselor Butterworth:

“Does the counselor have any questions for this witness?”

“I do, Your Honor.”

Counselor Butterworth rubbed his hands together, as he approaches the stand and asked the witness.

“Mr. Stuart, as you getting closer to the car, have you noticed anything unusual?”

“No, not really. Like what?”

“Did you notice if my client Mr. Campbell acknowledged what was going on? Did he look confused to you?”

“I’m not sure. He drove away like a maniac. I didn’t get the chance to see his facial expression.”

“Does my client look like a dangerous criminal to you?”

“Eh… no.”

Counselor Rossi stood up, surprised on what he just heard.

“Objection! Irrelevant, Your Honor. The counselor is asking for a personal opinion from the witness. Besides, the witness is not a professional psychologist. Nobody knows what Mr. Campbell was thinking or feeling at that moment.”

Counselor Butterworth defended his client with an outraged remark.

“At least we all know Counselor Rossi, that my client wasn’t the one who assaulted Mr. Stuart with a deadly weapon.”

The whisper from the crowd in the courtroom grew as the two counselors went at each other.

Judge Morales hits his gavel couple of times to get every bodies attention.

“Order in the court! Gentlemen, let’s keep this situation under control.”

“I am sorry, Your Honor.” – Counselor Rossi said, before he sat back down.

“One more question Mr. Stuart. Which of the defendants were you threatened by my client Mr. Campbell or Mr. Johnson?”

“Mr. Johnson, the one who was carrying the pocket knife.”

“No further question, Your Honor.” – Counselor Butterworth concluded his cross-examination.

“Mr. Rossi, would you like to cross-examine this witness?” – Judge Morales asked.

“Yes, I do Your Honor.”

Counselor Rossi approached the stand, gave the witness a huge smile and commented.

“Mr. Stuart, I’m sorry you went through that terrible ordeal. What my client did was inexcusable. However I would like to ask you, were you anyway hurt, stabbed, scratched or even shot?”

“No, I wasn’t.”– Mr. Stuart answered, while wiping away his sweaty palms in his pants and added.

“I was scared.”

“But you weren’t scared enough, were you… before you shot my client?” – Counselor Rossi pointed at his client.

“Yes, I was. I’m tired of being a victim, that’s why I did something about it. I shot him to protect myself.”

“But who actually got hurt, it was my client Mr. Johnson and not you Mr. Stuart. Am I right?”

The DA stood up and yelled:

“Objection, Your Honor. The counselor is harassing the witness.”

“I can see that Mr. Mitchell.”

Judge Morales turned his attention to Counselor Rossi, took a brief breath and replied.

“Sustained. Remember Mr. Rossi, the person who is in trial here is your client Mr. Johnson and not Mr. Stuart. Please get your facts straight.”

“Yes, Your Honor.” – Counselor Rossi answered politely, even though he wasn’t able to make his point cross in the courtroom.

“Mr. Stuart, when you pulled the trigger of your semi-automatic pistol. Did you intentionally want to kill my client? You know… because he’s a young black man, an African-American man.”

Mr. Stuart shook his head couple of times and hesitated briefly before turning to face the counselor.

“No. It was nothing like that. Like I’ve mentioned before I was scared and tired. So I fought back, for protection and nothing more. I’m not a racist!”

Counselor Rossi wasn’t convinced by the statement of the witness, so he just pushed his luck a little too far by commenting.

“A bullet from your pistol wounded the left shoulder of my client, Mr. Johnson and according to New England Journal of Medicine it could have been a fatal injury.”

Mr. Mitchell, the DA stood up and yelled, annoyed on what he just observed.

“Objection! Irrelevant, Your Honor. How many times the court would have to mention to Mr. Rossi that the witness is not the one on trial here?”

“Mr. Mitchell, I do understand your frustration. But Mr. Rossi had brought up a very interesting topic. I would like to see where he’s going with this piece of evidence.”

“Very well, Your Honor.” – Mr. Mitchell sat back down fuming and folded his arms.

Counselor Rossi went back to the table to get the copy of the magazine. He remained in front of the table, reading the article aloud.

“The article said: a bullet wound to the left shoulder will usually prove to be lethal while a character will survive the same wound to the right shoulder or even the right chest, presumably because the heart (allegedly) is on the left side.” – Counselor Rossi stopped reading and returned to stand in front of the witness and commented.

“So you see Mr. Stuart, your bullet could have killed my client. No further question, Your Honor.”

“You can step down Mr. Stuart. I’ve heard enough, the court will take a brief recess, I’m going to my chambers and I’ll be back with my final decision.” – Judge Morales hit once his gavel, announcing the court dismissal.

The bailiff’s voice once again announced over the PA system: “All rise.” The observers stood respectfully and waited for Judge Morales to leave the courtroom, once the judge had left, the counselors went to speak with their clients.

When Counselor Butterworth had the chance to take a seat besides his client, they stared at each other in silence. Finally Alexander asked his lawyer, giving him an encouraging smile.

“You did a good job up there. So, what do you think my verdict will be?”

“Don’t worry, Alexander. Everything will be all right. We convinced Judge Morales that you were only driving Mr. Johnson to the liquor store and you have no knowledge whatsoever about his intentions. In addition, you didn’t threaten Mr. Stuart, so you’re in the clear. You have been charged with a misdemeanor, a less serious crime, which means hopefully you’ll be serving a year or less in jail.”

“What about Brian?”

“Don’t worry about him. If there’s justice, he’ll be looking at a longer sentence.”

Forty-five minutes later, still no sign of Judge Morales. Now, inside the courtroom, it was incredibly emotional. The courtroom was very hot, very stuffy; lots of people were standing and sitting. Sarah was trying to get a glimpse of Alexander. She wishes she could console him, bringing him some peace of mind. It’s a state of inner calmness and tranquility, together with a sense of freedom. Also it’s a time when thoughts and worries cease, and there is no stress, strain or fears.

All of a sudden, Judge Morales walked in the courtroom, took his place on the bench and banged his gavel couple of times to get every bodies attention.

“Please rise Mr. Campbell and Mr. Johnson as well as the counselors Mr. Butterworth and Mr. Rossi and the DA Mr. Mitchell. I went over the evidence and the witness statement, I reached my verdict.” – Judge Morales turned to Mr. Campbell and Counselor Butterworth.

“Mr. Campbell, I had the opportunity to speak with your probation officer regarding your last incident. He had excellent report about you. I’m sentencing you one year of probation at Georgia State Prison. You’ve already completed two months in the county jail, and if you’re well behaved during the last ten months, you’ll be getting out of jail earlier.”

Once Alexander heard his verdict, he was so grateful that tears were coming down his face. He was relieved to get a second chance in life.

“And for you Mr. Johnson….” – Judge Morales pointed at the defendant.

“I’m sentencing you five years in prison for carrying concealed deadly weapon and two years in prison for robbery. You’ll be sentenced total of seven years to Arrendale State Prison in Georgia.” – Judge Morales concluded.

The echo sound of a gavel banging on a sound block filled the courtroom, bringing the case to a close.