re: A jury decided they were not guilty. A judge sentenced them to life in prison anyway

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That doesn't seem right.

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In 1998, Gibson (police officer) was shot in the abdomen with his own gun in a wooded area outside a Waverly apartment complex while allegedly intervening in a drug deal. Just before he died, Gibson told another police officer that two Black men had shot him following a scuffle. He described one as having short, sparse hair and the other dreadlocks; the 9-year-old witness, Shannequia Gay, also described one suspect as having dreadlocks. Richardson had cornrows at the time while his alleged accomplice, Ferrone Claiborne, had no hair. Claiborne was also sentenced to life in prison.

A state grand jury indicted Richardson and Claiborne for capital murder; Richardson reached an agreement with the commonwealth, pleading guilty in exchange for prosecutors reducing his charge to involuntary manslaughter. Claiborne pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of accessory after the fact. In March 2000, the court sentenced Richardson to five years in prison. Claiborne served no jail time.

A year later, a federal grand jury indicted Richardson and Claiborne separately on crack cocaine distribution and gun charges related to Gibson’s death. Both were convicted of the drug offenses, but the jury acquitted them of murder.

Despite the acquittals, the federal judge lengthened Richardson and Claiborne’s sentences to life in prison, deciding their guilty pleas in state court were "clear and convincing evidence" that they "killed [Officer Gibson] under circumstances that would constitute murder."

LINK

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