Below is the ruling issued by Judge William Bennett on the sentencing of Norris Greenhouse, Jr. The sentence was announced today, Wednesday, October 4:
CRIMINAL DOCKET NO. 190,764-B
STATE OF LOUISIANA12TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
VERSUSPARISH OF AVOYELLES
NORRIS GREENHOUSE, JR.STATE OF LOUISIANA
REASONS FOR SENTENCING
On the night of November 3, 2015 a tragic event occurred in Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. This tragic event has forever altered the lives of multiple individuals. The lives of two police officers, Derrick Stafford and Norris Greenhouse, Jr. were forever changed by the events of that night. Christopher Few sustained gunshot wounds and his life certainly was forever changed. A totally and completely innocent victim to the events of that night, six year old Jeremy Mardis, was killed in this senseless tragedy. While the lives of Stafford and Greenhouse, and the life of Christopher Few was forever changed by the events of that evening, the life of young, innocent Jeremy Mardis was not given the opportunity to change. His life was ended.
As a result of this tragic event, an Avoyelles Parish Grand Jury indicted Derrick Stafford and Norris Greenhouse, Jr. on charges of Second Degree Murder of Jeremy Mardis and Attempted Second Degree Murder of Christopher Few. A Bill of Indictment returned by a Grand Jury is simply a document accusing individuals of a crime. Our law provides that in order to convict these individuals, evidence must be submitted to convince the trier of fact, jury or judge, of their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Or, a defendant can stand up in a courtroom and admit his guilt. This law applies everywhere, even in Avoyelles Parish.
Once a Bill of Indictment is returned by a Grand Jury and filed into Court, this Bill of Indictment is prosecuted by the Avoyelles Parish District Attorney, or upon his recusal, usually by the State of Louisiana, Office of Attorney General. In this case, District Attorney Charles Riddle, III entered a Recusal and the Attorney General’s Office was appointed and has been represented by Attorneys John Sinquefield and Matthew Derbes.
As all in this courtroom are aware, Derrick Stafford’s case proceeded to Trial. Derrick Stafford maintained his innocence and obviously did not wish to enter into any plea negotiations. This is his Constitutional right and it was exercised. Stafford was tried and found guilty of the responsive verdicts of Manslaughter and Attempted Manslaughter and sentenced to serve forty (40) years and twenty (20) years on the Attempted Manslaughter charge, both being maximum sentences. In other words, Stafford was found guilty of attempting to kill Christopher Few and found guilty of killing Jeremy Mardis pursuant to the law of Manslaughter.
The case against Norris Greenhouse, Jr. proceeded and Greenhouse maintained his innocence and also requested a Trial. Many Hearings were conducted during the course of this proceeding and as all in this room also are aware, on Friday, September 29, 2017 Greenhouse stood before this Court and admitted his guilt to the reduced charges of Negligent Homicide and Malfeasance in Office, with an understanding of what his sentence would be. This is a plea bargain and/or plea agreement and such occurrences are standard in all criminal courts, even in Avoyelles Parish. Norris Greenhouse, Jr. was remanded for sentencing today.
After Greenhouse stood in Open Court and admitted his guilt to the reduced charges of Negligent Homicide and Malfeasance in Office, another furor erupted in the community. Legal scholars from the University of Facebook School of Law immediately began to make claims of illegal activity being conducted which brought about the plea agreement. Certain members of the media made allegations that this was “Avoyelles good ole boy politics.” These reckless and irresponsible comments indicate to this Court that the legal scholars from the University of Facebook School of Law and certain members of the media must know more about the evidence in this case than is known by the staff of the Attorney General and the Defense. Having presided over this case and the Stafford case since November 2015, this Court has consistently been amazed at the lack of knowledge of evidence, ACTUAL EVIDENCE, that this Court has concerning the tragic events of that night. During the Stafford Trial this Court learned of evidence that was very new to this Court and certainly expected same in the Greenhouse case due to the fact that there are several important parts of evidence which have not been brought forth into a courtroom. However, the legal scholars from the University of Facebook School of Law and certain members of the media must have some inside information in regard to the evidence.
What these individuals have failed to understand and/or realize, and what some members of the media failed to put forth in questioning citizens of Avoyelles Parish is this:
1)The plea agreement entered into this case consisted of negotiations between the Attorney General’s Staff and the defense, without participation by this Court, and once the negotiations reached a certain point, consent of Christopher Few and consent of the family of Jeremy Mardis was obtained. Therefore, the plea agreement was accepted by the State, the defense, the victim, and the victim’s family, yet the legal scholars from the University of Facebook School of Law and certain members of the media claim that this is not Justice. How disrespectful to the memory of Jeremy Mardis can you be
2)Also, these and other individuals in our community have totally ignored the reasons for the plea agreement. Assistant Attorney General, John Sinquefield, a man with more legal experience in these type of cases than all of us put together, a man who has tried some of the highest profile criminal cases in the State of Louisiana, stood before this Court and stated the reasons why this plea agreement was in the best interest of the State, the defense, and the victims. I remind everyone that Assistant Attorney General John Sinquefield stated that:
a)This defendant should get consideration for the fact that he is coming forward, accepting responsibility for his actions on the night of the incident and not requiring the State, the victims, the victim’s family members and this community to go through another Trial.
b)The evidence submitted in the first Trial and the other evidence that the State has confirms that there is no direct proof that the four shots from the gun of Norris Greenhouse, Jr. struck either Christopher Few or Jeremy Mardis.
c)The best evidence available indicates that Norris Greenhouse, Jr. fired his weapon only after Derrick Stafford began shooting the fourteen shots that he fired, of which several hit the victims in the case, including three bullets that struck the body of Jeremy Mardis, any one of which was sufficient to cause the death of Jeremy Mardis.
d)The evidence in the Greenhouse case is quite different than the evidence in the Stafford, and considering the totality of circumstances the plea agreement is in the best interest of the State, the defense and the victims.
e)Christopher Few and other members of his family, and members of the Jeremy Mardis family, as well as their attorneys have no objection to the State entering into the plea agreement with Greenhouse, which agreement was entered into without any participation by this Court.
f)These cases have torn this community apart and it is time for them to end so the community can heal.
This Court must also note that while the legal scholars from the University of Facebook School of Law and certain members of the media claim this is a lenient sentence, and claim that this is just “Avoyelles good ole boy Politics,” I cite you to two recent cases, as follows: State v. Trae Williams, Criminal Docket No. 196,205, wherein a young man, first offender, charged with two counts of Attempted Second Degree Murder was sentenced pursuant to a plea bargain to twelve (12) years in prison as charged on Attempted Second Degree Murder on each count to run concurrent. Evidence in that case indicates that his bullets did strike two (2) people.
Also, State v. Charles Lavalais, Criminal Docket No. 200,260, on a charge of Attempted Second Degree Murder, a defendant entered in the plea negotiations and received a twelve (12) year sentence.
Whether or not any person, including this Court, believes that the sentence imposed today is lenient is not important because it was agreed to by the State and the defense with no objection from the victim and the family of the other victim. So who are we to complain
To the members of the University of Facebook School of Law and certain members of the media - - in the opinion of this Court, you are overly expressed by the exuberance of your own verbosity.
To members of the State of Louisiana legal team, and the defense legal team, in this case as well as in the Stafford case, all true legal participants, that being attorneys and their staffs, especially the staff of the Attorney General’s Office, you have conducted yourselves with professionalism, competency, dignity, and respect. All of you, in both the Stafford and Greenhouse cases, make me proud to be part of the true Justice system instead of the Justice System promoted University of Facebook School of Law.
Now, to the matter at hand, Norris Greenhouse, Jr., on the charge of Negligent Homicide, I sentence you to serve a period of five (5) years in the Louisiana Department of Corrections at hard labor, with two years of this sentence to be served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. As provided by Code of Criminal Procedure Article 880, your sentence SHALL be subject to credit for all time spent in actual custody. As per applicable law you are not entitled to credit for time served on home incarceration. On the charge of Malfeasance in Office, I sentence you to serve two and a half (2 & ) years, or thirty (30) months, at hard labor, to run consecutive to any other sentence previously imposed. Pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 40:2405J any P.O.S.T. Certification that you have is hereby revoked.
I inform you that the crimes for which you have entered pleas of guilty and have now been convicted are not considered in Louisiana Law as crimes of violence. They are not enhanced sentences. Your sentences are subject to diminution for good behavior. You have a period of two (2) years from the date that the Judgment of Conviction and Sentence becomes final within which to apply for Post-Conviction Relief.
Marksville, Louisiana on this __________ day of October, 2017.
________________________________________________
WILLIAM J. BENNETT
12TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, JUDGE
DIVISION B