[UPDATE] – Former police officer Amber Guyger sentenced to 10 YEARS

by The Right Scoop

Former police officer Amber Guyger was sentenced to 10 years by a jury today after she was convicted of murder yesterday:

NBC NEWS – Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer convicted of murder for fatally shooting her unarmed neighbor in his apartment, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison.

Guyger, 31, learned her fate after a sentencing hearing that included emotional testimony from the family of victim Botham Jean and revelations that she shared racist and offensive texts and social media posts.

Prosecutors had asked jurors to sentence Guyger to at least 28 years — symbolic because Jean would have turned 28 last Sunday.

The jury was allowed to consider whether Jean’s death was the result of “sudden passion,” which meant Guyger acted in the heat of the moment. It carried a lesser sentence of two to 20 years behind bars.

Ten years might seem like a lot, but for a murder charge it sounds somewhat light. It suggests to me that the jury may have gone for the “sudden passion” argument, meaning that it wasn’t premeditated.

Considering what she was up against in her sentencing, this is actually not a terrible outcome for her. She’s only 31 and she’ll be out in ten years. Who knows, maybe sooner if she qualifies for parole.

I have to say though, despite the arguments about whether she meant to do it or not, she was careless and it cost a man his life. Ten years sounds reasonable.

There’s more at NBC News about the case if you want to read it, including some questionable texts she sent to the man she was having an affair with…

 
UPDATE: Here’s a powerful moment from the courtroom:


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