I don’t believe she did it intentionally but she was negligent. She is held to a higher standard of judgement because of her training. she was in the doorway. she could have shut the door and gone. called for backup, Poor guy just minding his own business. I don’t think that who she was on the phone with should have been discussed because it introduces bias. I don’t think it was because he was black. although that does happen. It just shouldn’t have happened. I would have been disgusted if she was aquitted.
I also work 12 hour shifts in a highly stressful area , although I don’t work under the duress of my life being on the line. I have never been that distracted. (my days are also up to 16 hours long)
When we were in trial, we worked very long days as well, only coming home to sleep, shower and change clothing. (Of course no one was shooting st us either.) None of us were so tired and distracted that we did the things described in this trial.
If the jury sets the sentence, I would not be surprised if they decided on a sentence anywhere from 20 years to 40 years.
I’m a DFW resident and have been following this case closely. My understanding is that AG had several options other than killing Botham Jean, yet chose to enter the apartment and kill him. She admitted in her testimony that she “intended” to kill him. The intent is what makes this is murder and not negligence.
Also, some social media posts of AG’s have been shown during the sentencing phase that reflect a shoot first mentality. I hope this is strongly considered when the jury determines her sentence, along with her failure to render aid, texting her affair partner as her victim lay dying, and sexting her affair partner 2 days after the murder.
Beyond that, I agree with @itsgettingreal17. Her victim is dead so AG the only one who knows what really happened that night. I certainly have no way of knowing how the events unfolded, but I do not believe her story.
Apparently Amber Guyger has a social media history which suggests racism against African Americans / Blacks.
Based on two clips I have seen on TV news, Amber Guyger is a terrible witness.
Were I to walk into my apartment and see an unknown person eating icecream, sitting on my unfamiliar couch, - I’d like to think that before I shot him, I’d back-up the the door (not a far distance), and then say 'who the h*ell are you?" - from the very little I know about this case, she seems to have shot first asked questions later.
I suspect she’'l receive the lower end of the sentencing guidelines, with time off for good behavior etc. My guess is she’ll probably be placed in a protective unit.
According to news reports: Amber Guyger failed to administer aid to the victim after realizing that she had shot an innocent person.
The more I learn about this case, the more disgusted I become.
The state is asking for at least 28 years … the age Botham would be if he were alive today.
Anyone familiar with Texas state law with respect to how long one who receives a 20 year sentence must serve before being released for good behavior or eligible for parole ? (In many states, convicted persons serving time can be released after serving as little as fifty (50%) percent of one’s sentence.)
Not ~50 years, which would be Jean’s remaining life expectancy at the age when he was killed, if they were trying to make a symbolic point out of the sentence?
Sentences need to have a reasonable basis in order to be upheld on appeal.
Usually sentences outside of a typical range cite mitigating or aggravating factors.
One can appeal a conviction as well as the sentence.
Under the circumstances of this case, it might be tough to justify the imposition of a sentence longer than 20 years–but this is just a guess on my part.
Texas Government Code 508.145 at https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.508.htm describes eligibility for parole. Looks like (a) through (e) of that section describes parole eligibility for specific crimes (not the one Guyger was convicted of), so the catch-all (f) subsection appears to apply.
quote=“Texas Government Code 508.145(f)” Except as provided by Section 508.146, any other inmate is eligible for release on parole when the inmate’s actual calendar time served plus good conduct time equals one-fourth of the sentence imposed or 15 years, whichever is less.
[/quote]
Eligibility for parole does not necessarily mean that parole will be granted.
So we need the definition of “good conduct time” under Texas law.
Texas Government Code 498 at https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.498.htm describes good conduct time for prisoners. Seems to be hard to find the definitions of different kinds of inmates referred to in 498.003.
Ten years. Not enough.
That is disappointing.
It’s not as long as many on this thread expected/hoped, but higher than a lot of other officers have gotten for questionable/terrible actions they have taken, especially where innocent victims died.
From what I have learned, prisoners serve approximately 50% of their sentences for crimes of this kind in Texas.
The victim’s brother hugged Amber Guyger in the courtroom after the sentence was announced.
Seems like the jury considered exhaustion from working overtime as a mitigating factor.