Judge Stephanie Boyd sentences Anthony Blackburn to three years after son testifies shotgun was fired

Judge Stephanie Boyd sentenced Anthony Blackburn to three years in prison and fined him $1,500 after receiving testimony from his son, Anthony Blackburn Jr., that the defendant fired a shotgun during a family dispute.

The court heard detailed testimony from Anthony Blackburn Jr., who said his parents exchanged heated phone calls that night and that he drove to his father’s house to try to defuse the situation. "I heard the clear distinct sound of a shotgun," Anthony Blackburn Jr. testified, and he said the blast hit his truck’s driver-side back door. He described the smell of gunpowder and that his father ran from the house with a shotgun in hand.

Defense counsel urged the court to consider treatment and probation, telling the court the defendant had entered therapy and shown remorse and arguing the incident reflected a "snap" tied to long-standing emotional regulation issues. An attorney who identified himself as Carlos also described the defendant’s recent engagement with therapy and asked the court to impose strict no-contact conditions and treatment rather than maximum incarceration.

The state opposed deferred placement, citing the firearm discharge near family members and what it described as the defendant’s subsequent conduct: the prosecutor told the court that the defendant had placed a tracking device on an ex-partner’s vehicle after therapy. Judge Boyd said that the tracker issue was a major concern in weighing risk and rehabilitation options.

After hearing testimony and argument, Judge Boyd found the defendant guilty, made affirmative findings of family violence and of a deadly weapon, sentenced him to a $1,500 fine and three years in prison with credit for time served, and ordered no contact with the victim, Anthony Blackburn Jr., and with Carrie Blackburn; the court also ordered no contact with Stephanie Blackburn and recommended placement in a therapeutic community for mental-health treatment. The court noted the plea bargain waived the defendant's right to appeal.

The court’s sentencing order reflects both punitive and treatment-oriented elements; Judge Boyd explained she did not impose the maximum 10-year term because she considered mitigating information, but she stressed accountability for firearm use and the post-therapy tracking conduct. The defendant was remanded in accordance with the court’s order.