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Defense emphasizes defendant's youth and denies he was the shooter in brief mitigation plea
Summary
Defense counsel urged jurors to consider the defendant's youth and argued he was not the shooter while asking for a sentence below the high end; the jury nevertheless imposed 60 years.
Defense counsel (Mr. Coleman) delivered a short mitigation plea during the punishment-phase closings, asking jurors to "take that into account when assessing his sentence" and noting the defendant is a "young man" and, the defense argued, "was not the shooter." The defense emphasized rehabilitation potential and urged jurors against the highest penalties.
The defense closing was brief; counsel acknowledged the defendant's criminal history but asked jurors to focus on mitigation factors. Despite the plea for a lesser term, the jury returned a 60-year sentence after deliberation.
