Judge Jennifer Mitchell made the ruling Friday and sentenced Justin
Johnson to 35 years on a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and
15 years on another charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a
handgun.
Johnson was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit
first-degree murder, and being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun.
Friday, he was sentenced to 35 years for conspiracy to commit
first-degree murder and another 15 for being a convicted felon in possession of
a firearm. Those two sentences will be served concurrently.
Before the sentencing, the courtroom listened to a statement from
Dolph's family.
"To the one responsible for taking him from us just know this: You
may deny your actions but the evidence speaks clearly," the statement read
in part, referring to Dolph's death. "You showed yourself to be driven by
jealousy and cowardice. You may have tried to take a man down for the sake of
envy, but in the end have lost far more than you could ever gain. The world
sees you now for what you are."
Shelby County Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman said the state
recommended 40 and 20 years in prison for his conspiracy to commit first-degree
murder and felon in possession of a firearm charges, respectively. He asked for
consecutive sentences to be added to his life sentence for the first-degree
murder charge.
Justin Johnson's attorney Luke Evans disagreed, saying consecutive
sentences are not necessary because the current life sentence does not qualify
Johnson for parole until his mid to late 70s. He argued the additional
sentences should be concurrent and the least amount possible.
The sentencing comes after attorneys for Justin Johnson filed a
motion on Oct. 25, 2024, asking the courts to vacate his sentence and grant him
a new trial.
The motion claimed that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient
to find Johnson guilty of first-degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt.
It also claims the court “erred by admitting gruesome photographs of the
victim’s body at the crime scene” and by admitting “gruesome autopsy
photographs.” The motion also claims the court made a mistake in denying
Johnson’s motions to sit at counsel table.
The sentencing comes after attorneys for Justin Johnson filed a
motion on Oct. 25, 2024, asking the courts to vacate his sentence and grant him
a new trial.
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