Ferguson Protesters Express Shock

[lostinblue 1,989]

Ferguson Protesters Express Shock at Eight-Year Sentence for Joshua Williams

Activists and allies of the Ferguson protest movement were stunned Thursday when a St. Louis County Circuit Court judge sentenced Josh Williams to eight years in prison.

Last month, the nineteen-year-old Williams pleaded guilty to arson, burglary and stealing; the charges stemmed from a December 23, 2014 protest during which Williams was recorded entering a Berkeley QuikTrip (which had initially been broken into by looters) and lighting fires inside and outside the convenience store.

Williams' supporters packed the courtroom in Clayton yesterday, and many took to Twitter to voice their anger at the prosecution's request for the judge to "make an example" of Williams.

Others noted that Williams' actions caused little actual damage and that a teenager would now be imprisoned for years while Darren Wilson, the ex-Ferguson officer whose shooting of Michael Brown sparked the protest movement last year, remains free.

"Today my heart is broken for a young man who stood up for what he believes in and will spend more in prison than any of the killer cops," tweeted activist Kayla Reed, who was among those critical of the prosecution's tactics.

Williams' attorney, Nick Zotos, tells Riverfront Times that he agrees with the protesters' takes on the verdict. He says the prosecution successfully tarred his client with responsibility for all the violence that occurred during the Ferguson protests.

"I think Josh wound up paying a price for a lot of things going on in Ferguson that he was not responsible for. He is an available fall guy," says Zotos, adding. "He did attempt to light a fire, but his sentence is completely disproportionate to the conduct."

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2015/12/11/ferguson-protesters-express-shock-at-eight-year-sentence-for-joshua-Williams

Could have received 15 years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGv3_9sARrk

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Ferguson Protesters Express Shock at Eight-Year Sentence for Joshua Williams

Activists and allies of the Ferguson protest movement were stunned Thursday when a St. Louis County Circuit Court judge sentenced Josh Williams to eight years in prison.

Last month, the nineteen-year-old Williams pleaded guilty to arson, burglary and stealing; the charges stemmed from a December 23, 2014 protest during which Williams was recorded entering a Berkeley QuikTrip (which had initially been broken into by looters) and lighting fires inside and outside the convenience store.

Williams' supporters packed the courtroom in Clayton yesterday, and many took to Twitter to voice their anger at the prosecution's request for the judge to "make an example" of Williams.

Others noted that Williams' actions caused little actual damage and that a teenager would now be imprisoned for years while Darren Wilson, the ex-Ferguson officer whose shooting of Michael Brown sparked the protest movement last year, remains free.

"Today my heart is broken for a young man who stood up for what he believes in and will spend more in prison than any of the killer cops," tweeted activist Kayla Reed, who was among those critical of the prosecution's tactics.

Williams' attorney, Nick Zotos, tells Riverfront Times that he agrees with the protesters' takes on the verdict. He says the prosecution successfully tarred his client with responsibility for all the violence that occurred during the Ferguson protests.

"I think Josh wound up paying a price for a lot of things going on in Ferguson that he was not responsible for. He is an available fall guy," says Zotos, adding. "He did attempt to light a fire, but his sentence is completely disproportionate to the conduct."

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2015/12/11/ferguson-protesters-express-shock-at-eight-year-sentence-for-joshua-Williams

Could have received 15 years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGv3_9sARrk

You mean the Ferguson looters.? The fact that he had supporters is beyond comprehension.

[Boiler 46,356]

Is it because he is black?

Edited December 14, 2015 by Boiler

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

No, it's pretty simple... you do a crime, you do some time. It's sad that people there support his actions.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

I think I recall that the shooting was found justified hence the officer not going to jail. Unfortunately for this defendant and his supporters it appears that looting, rioting and arson are in fact crimes no matter how upset one is over a justify able police shooting and he was found guilty of those crimes.

All of what I just said doesn't mean that there is no such thing as police brutality or that many Black people have been wrongly shot and killed. I honestly don't get the anger in Ferguson once the facts came out.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

All of what I just said doesn't mean that there is no such thing as police brutality or that many Black people have been wrongly shot and killed. I honestly don't get the anger in Ferguson once the facts came out.

Many whites have also been wrongly shot and killed, too. But as for the anger you don't understand, you have to realize that pretty much everyone who does a crime believes they got a bad rap. Go to a prison, and see how many tell you they are innocent. Same situation in Ferguson where people believe their looting and destruction was justified. In their minds, they are just being picked on.