Insane

Well because he was the only one that killed anyone. Whether the cop should be convicted I don't know without much details because the others involved in the robbery shot guns. Cop could've shot in self defense and protection of people, or not.

That's what I'm saying, yes

Yeah. The US sucks. I'm definitely going to college in Germany and might stay there if this downward spiral continues. I'm getting out of here eventually. (I have German citizenship)

TL;DR US = GARBAGE

Fuckin' Alabama.

You see, This is like one of the reasons I seriously want to move out of this Country.

My dad talks to me about joining the Military, which I want to do Airforce, but like, I really don't want to be affiliated with this damned country. Like I would Hop on a bus to Air force, I really would, but What we do in these states, is what I would stand for, and I can't stand for that. Honestly, I don't think I can join the Military with a clear conscious, knowing the crap that I am representing and standing for.
I'm looking to get out of here.

Also, Fucking Death penalty is stupid. Someone brought it up, and it's stupid, Because people can change, and with a death sentence they can't. Even if they don't change, I'd like to see them rot in jail, Waiting for time to go by slowly, and then dying.

First of all, I want to acknowledge that everything negative you ever read or hear about the United States is the extreme. What people refuse to believe is that all of America isn't extreme left or extreme right, or all Feminists or all Neo-Nazis. There are plenty in between that just live their lives the way they should. It is like saying everybody is starving in Africa, or all Indians work in call centers. It is an insane stereotype to believe that the United States is always this way @OP.

Second, I want to say that this is in the deep south, one of the states that seceded during the Civil War and had Jim Crow laws for decades. This means that racism is still (unfortunately) present in some quantities there. This might have an effect if the judge happened to be white, same as the jury.

Third, I want to point out that this article very much has bias. The bias isn't obvious by just glancing at it, since it contains lines such as "Smith, now 18, laughed as he received his 65-year sentence for felony murder", but it also doesn't give any information on the trial itself. We don't know how the trial went. If I was the defending attorney, I would have fought tooth and nail about the accomplice liability law. This article gives me no information how they were approaching the defense. Maybe they tried arguing from the stance that it was his friend, not that he was unarmed. We also don't have any information about evidence used in the trial.

Fourth, I also watched the video included in the article, and apparently the suspect "didn't have time" for the trial? The judge was difficult to understand, but if what I got is correct, then the 15 year old, now 18, put off the trial. If he had been under 18 when the jury made the decision, it may have been different due to his minor qualifying age, but now as a legal adult, he can be subjected to any sentence. He was smiling and laughing at the sentence too.

Fifth, the law may be stupid from this perspective, but look at it from the perspective of the swatting that led to the death of the old man a few weeks/months ago. I don't have the link on hand, but this man and a teenager (IIRC) were playing CoD. The teen got angry and called the police on the man. The police went to the house, and regardless of what circumstances they find, they must be prepared for the worse. They can't go into a suspect's house and expect some drinks and cookies. They ended up shooting the man, but the kid who swatted him was held accountable (IIRC).

Sixth, the officer was at the mercy of the suspects. If one suspect said the other had a gun, the officer should and probably would believe him, since the suspects know more about what is happening than the officers. For all the officer knew at the time, if he didn't take care of this other suspect, he could be dead within minutes.

Just take this into consideration before you get all your panties in a bunch about the US legal system.

Bad decissions have consequences.
Bad laws have innocents being convicted.
And bad law enforcers have all the citizens against them, they can't win, the truth always prevails.

Come to Alabama buddy you might see me

@CMDreamer the truth may prevail, but justice unfortunately doesn't nearly as much as it should

@TotalInsanity4 your right unfortunately. Even less when "Justice" is only for those who can pay for it.

'MERICA!

Perhaps many of you read 'MERICA! and think of a biased justice/police force, racism or even of crazy rednecks carrying Big Fucking Guns... But when I read 'MERICA! I can only think of some good oversized grilled beef, some barbecue ribs, lots of bacon and perhaps some bbq potatoes and some coke... Oh, but sure it is because I am hungry as fuck.

Yeah, I am hungry now too. I need to move away from 'MERICA!