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Teen acquitted of Dorchester murder gets 5-6 for shooting two in botched robbery

John Graham, 19, was sentenced today to five to six years in state prison for a double shooting three weeks after an Irish immigrant was shot to death on his way home in Dorchester, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

Prosecutors had sought six to ten years for the non-fatal 2011 shootings. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Linda Giles imposed the lower sentence after noting that Graham, then 16, had “essentially no record at all” and was living in a “toxic environment” away from responsible adults.

In March, a Suffolk Superior Court jury acquitted Graham of murder for the death of Ciaran Conneely on Nahant Avenue, but found him guilty of shooting two men on Monsignor Lydon Way:

Evidence and testimony presented during the trial proved that Graham, armed with a firearm, approached the then 18- and 20-year-old victims on Monsignor Lydon Way and demanded cash. When the men refused to comply and even mocked him, Graham shot them and fled without taking their money. One victim was struck from behind by four bullets; the second victim was shot once in the arm.

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Comments

Great news. One man looses his life and his killer essentially walks away on this. He lived a bad home life, he was an outcast who had never been in trouble before. How sad. Well guess what everyone? He'll be out in a few years after some more 'education' in prison. How do you think he'll be then.
Jury nullification in Suffolk County at work.

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Typical self-centered idiot judge who wants to 'one-up" the prosecution by imposing a lighter sentence than what was recommended.

The worst parts of this ego game (which has been repeated countless times in countless courtrooms in this state)are (a) the judges don't even have to put their reasons for imposing a lighter sentence than the prosecution's recommendation on the public record and (b) the prosecution has no rights to appeal a sentence that is too lenient.

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(a) the judges don't even have to put their reasons for imposing a lighter sentence than the prosecution's recommendation on the public record

They don't have to put their reasons for imposing a heavier sentence than the defense's recommendation on the public record, either.

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Judges don't care. They live in a safe neighborhoods and have an unrestricted licences to carry if they so choose. If any substantiated threat is made against them they have the full weight of law enforcement to protect them.

The concerns of the little people are beneath them.

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I have no record. How many people can I murder/ shoot before I am held responsible for my actions?

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When the perp gets out, will the unnamed victim still be dead?

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Wasn't a typical gangbanger pissing contest either - this worthless POS murdered a hard-working Irish immigrant and wounded two other innocent victims. I really hope aryan brotherhood gets to him before he's let out on good behavior/overcrowding/appeal/etc in six months or so.

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You say he murdered Ciaran Conneely.
A jury said otherwise.
The coverage of the story seems to say that the state had a very weak case: no forensic evidence placing him at the scene, murder weapon never found, no witnesses placing him at the scene, etc.

Do you know something the jury didn't know?

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Not just its overall theme but the facts, such as ballistics and statements to witnesses. This suggests that reasonable minds may differ on the outcome, though obviously he was not found guilty.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/03/26/shadow-gunman/d8C14W0YyIj4Jf...

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Sad to say, yes. Kiwi will still be dead, but never forgotten.

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