A client of attorney Andrew Jezic has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter but will not be convicted of first or second degree murder. The client, a 19-year-old man allegedly involved in gang activity, admitted to shooting at two men in retaliation for an alleged drive-by shooting that occurred on May 20, 2017.
One of the victims was injured, and the other was fatally shot. Also riding in the vehicle with the victims were two women, as well as a 13 month old child. Neither the women nor the child were hurt in the incident.
Mr. Jezic had his work cut out for him, and began to dive into the details of the case. He prepared the case, and argued to the jury that the client could not have had specific intent to kill because he was under the influence of marijuana and alcohol at the time of the shooting. This claim was backed up by the co-defendant, whom Mr. Jezic also pointed out was responsible for coercing his client into performing the shooting. After deliberation, the jury found the client not guilt of first degree murder, second degree murder, and attempted murder.
The client was sentenced to 40 years in prison on counts of manslaughter, first and second degree assault, reckless endangerment, and several firearms charges. However, due to the fact that the client was not charged with murder, he avoided a sentence of life in prison. Given the circumstances, this sentence was a huge accomplishment for Mr. Jezic, as the odds were heavily stacked against his client.