No Hard Time for Teens Who Burned Down Cotton Mill
Three teenagers were sentenced this afternoon for their roles in destroying a historic Douglasville cotton mill last May.
Three teenagers were sentenced Wednesday afternoon for their roles in destroying a historic Douglasville cotton mill last May, according to Andrew Agan, director of community relations for the Douglas County DA's Office.
Adrian Bond, 19, Terry Carringer, 19, and Jeromie Hand, 18, were sentenced to 60 to 120 days in a probation detention center and seven years of probation after each pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and second degree arson, reported Agan in an email.
The sentencing also requires each defendant to perform 100 hours of community service, submit to drug and psychological evaluations, attend counseling sessions and have no contact with each other.
Assistant District Attorney Bonnie Smith explained at the hearing that Douglasville officials were not seeking restitution for the city-owned building because future plans for the site most likely would have required demolition of the building at considerable expense to the city. The defendants have been in custody since May and will remain in custody until they complete their time at the probation detention center.
"Any time our fire department and public safety officials have to respond to a building fire like this one, they are risking their lives to protect us all and should be commended," said Douglas County District Attorney David McDade. "In this case, those young men have spent many months in jail, hopefully recognizing that this stupid, senseless act was dangerous not only to themselves but to others and that they are lucky no one actually got hurt. Hopefully as they continue to serve their sentences, they will learn to make better choices in the future."
Related Douglasville Patch stories:
Bond Denied to 3 Arson Suspects
Arrests Expected Today in Mill Fire
4 Face Arson Charges In Mill Fire
Cotton Mill Fire Under Investigation
Cotton Mill Delivers Douglasville from the Doldrums, Creating Economic Success
honey
11:20 pm on Wednesday, November 14, 2012
white boys... short sentence...typical
Cynthia B
7:56 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Were they all first time offenders? Will their records be expunged? Do they have any fines to pay? Is this option of confinement to a dentention center in lieu of jail an option available to all 18-19 yr old offenders with similar convictions? Is this a new program?
Chereen worthem
10:02 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Needed more than a few months at that age... SMH....they likely will violate probation. Hopefully in the mist of that nobody will become a victim of a poor justice decision
Dee
1:25 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Truly a typical scenario of the justice system in good olde D'ville. Where the terms of the punishment clearly doesn't fit the crime. These boys destroyed a historical site. My question is could they have been paid to do so since the county is refusing to get restitution, and only says that the structure stood the chances of being demolished at some point. Could that be the reason they only received a slap on the hand???? @ Cynthia, yeah it's a new program...only a few will be allowed to take part in it though.
Karla Benjamin
1:44 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Way too light of a sentence. Now these three will most likely go on to do another crime that is more severe or have before and just didn't get caught.
bobby black
10:37 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
Wouldn't make any difference if they were tearing down the building tomorrow, they should have been sentenced commensurate with the crime. In other words, "THROW THE BOOK AT THEM."
John
3:27 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
you do 7 yrs of P.O and see that ain't hard 100 hrs of community service is like 40 hrs a week with no pay, classes were your obligated to take. That sentence is harsh they slip once than they're back in chains and behind concrete. no one one was killed and a buildin was condemned to demolition. so why hate them and not the judicial system implemented here, just imagine if you accidently commit a crime and they tried to throw the book at you.