As reported by the Pioneer Press from St. Paul, MN, a man on trial for murder was allegedly unable to control his inappropriate outbursts of laughter during his sentencing as he suffers with both ADD and deafness.
The man's behavior was painful for the family of the murdered man to watch.
On Monday, June 25, A.F., 22, smiled as Judge Thomas Mott in the Ramsey County District Court sentenced him to 8 ½ years in prison for the murder of D.G. Of the sentencing, 199 days will be credited for the time A.F. has already spent in custody.
D.G.'s mother, J.G., said, "He comes here, laughing all the time, like nothing happened."
D.G.'s sister, P.W., was in agreement with her mother that A.F. should have been sentenced for a lengthier period. The prosecution had argued for approximately two years longer.
Judge Mott stated that he allowed the sentence to be the shorter span as A.F. had entered an early guilty plea, waived the potential for self-defense or a defense-of-others claim, expressed remorse and failed to have any serious crimes on his record.
In addition, Judge Mott told A.F. that the letter he sent the judge, via his attorney, was "much more articulate, much more thoughtful, with a much more positive approach to your future in terms of what you hope to accomplish."
After the hearing members of A.F.'s family explained that he suffered with deafness in one ear and compensated for the disability by laughing. This behavior, his chosen way to express himself, has been ongoing since his childhood days.
A friend of the family added that A.F. has ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder.
Along with the prison time, A.F. has also been ordered to pay $1,550 to A.F.'s mother as restitution and nearly $2,000 to Minnesota's Crime Victims Reparations Board.
On April 20 A.F. pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder in the shooting of D.G. – though members of his family and his friends contend that he was not the person that pulled the trigger.
A.F. submitted an Alford plea – this is where the accused does not admit any guilt but agrees with the state that enough evidence has been amassed to gain a conviction.
D.G., 24, died on September 28. The weapon used in his death was never located. A.F. stated that D.G. also had a gun, however, police officers only discovered shell casings from one firearm at the scene.
The criminal case states that there were two groups of men, members of the Crips and the Gangster Disciples street gangs, involved in a dispute prior to the shooting.
Police identified A.F. as the shooter after friends of the victim placed him at the scene of the crime.
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