this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2024
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Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers who pleaded guilty to a long list of state and federal charges for torturing two Black men will be sentenced by a federal judge starting Tuesday. 

U.S. District Judge Tom Lee will sentence two defendants each day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after twice delaying the proceedings. Each faces the potential of decades behind bars.

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[–] Letstakealook@lemm.ee 55 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Why is there no attempted murder charge? They shot a man in the fucking head. The sentences better better be the equivalent of life for crimes this egregious.

[–] trebuchet@lemmy.ml 29 points 8 months ago (2 children)

From the article:

On the federal charges, Dedmon and Elward each face a maximum sentence of 120 years plus life in prison and $2.75 million in fines. Hartfield faces a possible sentence of 80 years and $1.5 million, McAlpin faces 90 years and $1.75 million, Middleton faces 80 years and $1.5 million, and Opdyke could be sentenced to 100 years with a $2 million fine.

Fortunately, doesn't seem like they're letting them off easy or anything.

[–] Letstakealook@lemm.ee 10 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I read the maximums, and I'm just concerned the judge could be "lenient" with sentencing.

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

The judge stated during sentencing that the first officer deserves more than the maximums.

[–] KoalaUnknown@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

The people who write these news articles usually have no idea how sentencing guidelines work (or don’t care because bigger number = more clicks) and these numbers are much higher than someone with no criminal record would get. They also pleaded guilty and will serve federal and state time simultaneously which will reduce their sentence.

I suspect they will get at most 20 years each unless the judge really hates them regardless of what they deserve.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer

[–] sxan@midwest.social 22 points 8 months ago

Probably because prosecution wanted a sure win with lower burden of proof charges, than a possible loss with ones that are harder to get a conviction on.

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

They are white

[–] Immersive_Matthew@sh.itjust.works 20 points 8 months ago (2 children)

They all look kinda the same.

[–] don@lemm.ee 27 points 8 months ago

Yeah. Guilty.

[–] AFaithfulNihilist@lemmy.world 8 points 8 months ago

Yeah they look like the default character model of a really cheap game with slightly different hair configurations.

[–] foggy@lemmy.world 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. But, I don't feel too much empathy for the way a group of cops will get treated in prison for a crime like this.

[–] the_crotch@sh.itjust.works 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Oof. This is bad even by cop standards. Can't imagine what those 2 guys went through

[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Considering the history of policing in the US its really not

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Wow. That sheriff should be out on his ass for hiring these psychos. Clearly no ability to judge character or approves of terrible people outright. Either is unacceptable.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

I suspect this is institutional; they're maybe the worst in the department, but they're not abnormal either. There's almost definitely at least some culture of this that goes beyond these 6.

[–] nick@midwest.social 1 points 8 months ago

Some of those that hold office are the same that burn crosses

[–] Maruki_Hurakami@lemm.ee 0 points 8 months ago

At first glance I thought the bottom right guy had some weird mullet.

[–] shield_gengar@sh.itjust.works -2 points 8 months ago

What's the over/under on the judge just jailing the victims instead