In Texas, Killing wife=4 Months, Wounding her boyfriend=15 years?

[SirFozzie]

Somehow, I'm not surprised it comes from Texas.

Obviously, if he had been a better shot, he would have gotten 4 months for the boyfriend too. That's Texas's version of Gun Control, right?

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man sentenced to just four months in prison for killing his wife, after a jury concluded he acted in a blind fury, drew a 15-year term for wounding her boyfriend.

Jimmy Dean Watkins pleaded guilty Wednesday to attempted murder for shooting Keith Fontenot on December 22, 1998. Watkins' estranged wife, Nancy, was killed with multiple gunshots as she tried to dial 911 during the attack.

The jury at his 1999 trial found Watkins guilty of murdering his wife but decided he acted with "sudden passion" when he discovered her with Fontenot.

In a decision that provoked an outcry, the jury recommended 10 years' probation. Because of the jury's recommendation, the most the judge could have given Watkins was six months behind bars. He sentenced Watkins to four months.

Another wrinkle was added to the case in 2003, when two defense witnesses who gave key testimony pleaded guilty to perjury. They had claimed that Nancy Watkins and Fontenot had taunted Watkins in the hours before the shooting.

Watkins had admitted the attack but claimed temporary insanity. Texas defines "sudden passion" as being so overcome by rage, resentment or fear that the defendant is "incapable of cool reflection." Jurors said they recommended probation because they didn't think Watkins could be rehabilitated in prison.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Somehow, I'm not surprised it comes from Texas.

Obviously, if he had been a better shot, he would have gotten 4 months for the boyfriend too. That's Texas's version of Gun Control, right?

[Crapshoot]

Texas at its finest..

[BigJohn&TheLions]

[flere-imsaho]

Jimmy Dean Watkins pleaded guilty

God, I hope that's not the guy who makes the sausages....

[Qwikshot]

Don't mess with TEXAS, Don't do it!!!

[Ksyrup]

Makes sense to me. The 4 months sentence came from a jury. You know, the kind that let OJ go free. Based on the outcry over that and the 2 defense witnesses who were found to have committed perjury, the prosecution was suddenly in a position to go for the maximum for attempted murder on the boyfriend. So, he pleaded guilty and accepted a greater sentence on the shooting of the boyfriend, since the prosecution had the upper hand.

[Icy]

Talking about laws, tomorrow in Spain one of the worst ETA terrorists is going out of jail after 18 years.... he was punished to stad in jail for 3000 years because he killed 20 persons in 11 terrorist attacks (bombing, shooting, etc) during his terrorist days until he was cought....but he had "SOME" years discounted by his good behavior at prison... Looks that he couldn't find any way to put bombs into the prison so he is a good guy now...

Here is the link to the news, it's in Spanish sorry.
hxxp://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2005/01/06/espana/1105010108.html

[IMetTrentGreen]

$500 bucks says the wife was a sooner