Should He Get Five Years?

Articles

Ginger Gillenwater

Should He Get Five Years?
July 21, 2003

In Ironton Ohio, a man by the name of Sammy Clark was convicted of felonious assault from a bar fight last summer. Protesters this week have expressed their disagreement with the first time offender's sentence.

At Club 54 in South Point, Ohio, it is said that Clark sucker punched John Morrison of Ashland, Kentucky. Morrison was left with extensive facial wounds and Clark has been ordered to pay $17,000 in restitution for medical bills. Clark, on the other hand, states that he punched Morrison only once, that it must have been others at the bar who finished him off.

Family members state that Clark's court appointed attorney did not defend him the way he should because he was court appointed. The attorney differs. Those who sat in during the trial stated that the defense called no witnesses on Clark's behalf, that there are two employees of club 54 who are willing to sign affidavits in Clark's defense, but were never called up as witnesses.

The county prosecutor confirmed that Clark has no prior records, but was still sentenced the five years in prison. Clark's family will be appealing. Clark is engaged and has a six month old baby girl.

The question is: Being a first offense, should Clark have been sentenced to five years?

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