There is a truly disturbing story out of Atlanta, Georgia. Morehouse College student Joshua Brandon Norris shot another college student Rashad Johnson three times at a party. This weekend, Norris will be allowed to graduate after receiving an unbelievable light plea bargain while Johnson is at home recovering from his wounds.
Norris was reportedly causing trouble at a Halloween party in 2007 at an Atlanta club when the club threw him out. On his way out with his girlfriend, Norris reportedly bumped into Johnson and became enraged. He appeared outside of the club in his Hummer and pulled a gun on Norris. (In addition to the Hummer, Norris co-owns a fashion store). He claims that he was acting in self-defense, but shot the unarmed Norris three times. He was charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a second count for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. However, prosecutor Reid Thompson cut him a deal for a plea of no contest to a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as a first offender — allowing him to wipe his record clean –, a $1000 fine, 240 hours of community service, and just six years probation. Thompson is quoted as saying to Arlington “We’ve got this young man who’s coming back to Morehouse now, he’s close to graduation. Sending him to state prison for two years, I don’t think that would be in the state’s best interest. Hopefully, this will be the lesson he needs.”
Fulton County Judge Marvin Arrington told Norris that he was giving him “the break of your life.” Johnson was not even notified of the hearing, let alone the deal, which mandated Norris’ return to school. At the hearing, Arrington observed that Norris “needs to have a curfew. He needs to be in a dorm where you can get some study time. Take organic chemistry and physics. Make him some A’s. . . . All of them got cars. Don’t need no dern car. They need a MARTA card.”
Arrington has been controversial in his career such as his decision in one case to order all of the white people in a courtroom to leave so he could speak with black males without whites around. In this interview, Arrington defended his decision. I can only imagine the outcry if a judge ordered all the black people to leave a courtroom. Yet, Arrington remains on the bench.
Johnson was actually saving money to transfer to Morehouse but remains at home with his mother, who also lost her husband in addition to seeing her son shot. What is astonishing is the position of Morehouse, which has refused to speak with reporters –citing privacy. Obviously, privacy rules do not bar any statement in such a public case. In this case, you have a student who admitted to shooting another college student and has a criminal record. However, Morehouse allowed him to return to classed and then graduate.
For the full story, click here.
Some Guys have all the luck. Maybe he is getting his resume ready for some government work.
If the school didn’t let him graduate, he probably would have sued them and the county.
He’ll get what’s coming to him, eventually. Although it may be a bit down the road.
I think the school should change its name, officially, to “Bighouse” University given the type of student who now can “graduate” from its campus.
He will go on to become an attorney, no, a judge.
The fact that Norton “got out of his Hummer” on the night of the shooting should provide some insight as to why his sentence was so light.
Is this a situation of “All the justice money can buy”?
“Pleading” guilty you mean?
Larry,
You are so bright; you must be ‘n ‘nglish teacher or major. All who can read and who will read this topic saw that error and others that have occurred before that.
None of us know how Professor Turley finds the time to run this blawg; therefore, we ignore a misspelling here and there; sometimes that leads to a rare witticism; unintentional or contrived wit.
Ergo, imagine Prof T’s fingers moving 90-to-nothing across the keyboard while he is multitasking by grading college level law student papers, thinking of deep legal issues and his criminal defense cases and talking to his 4 kids and wife—all at the same time.
I think Jim Byrne has it right. The light sentence was an outrage, as was the school’s decision.
Larry, are you sure he did not mean LEAVING guilty? Because that is what happened
This would not happen at a non-Black institution, simple as that. The shooter would be expelled. Black colleges are inherently racist and should be destroyed, or White colleges should be formed.
JOhn:
Up that Thorazine Rx would you?
Ya know you can’t just let any ole attorney be judge. Don’t you know they can’t have an IQ of over 50, to be even qualified more than that, they won’t do it. Some attorneys but not all have at least a 140.
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Arrington is a remnant of the corrupt and iron fisted rule of Atlanta by the Maynard Jackson machine. The machine’s cozy relationship with the White business establishment and the deterioration of basic services used by the African-American majority make it clear that Arrington and his pals have been nothing but hypocrites.
As a student of Morehouse College I am extremely embarrassed by this situation. First Genarlow Wilson…now Josh Norris. All I did was transfer from a major state university and Morehouse constantly blocks me from graduation by not excepting my transfer credits. Seems like maybe I need to rape and underage girl or shoot one of my classmates to graduate!
I know Josh MOrris. He was acting in self defense.Morehouse doesn’t accept criminals. If you knew the details of the story then you all this talk would cease. Josh is a stand up dude
I wonder if the sentence would have been more harsh Norris had shot a white person?
And why didn’t Morehouse suspend or expell Norris? Doesn’t Morehouse have rules against attempted murder and gun violence, or do they condone such behavior?
…..Even if it was self defense what is a student doing with a gun?
I don’t understand why there are so many comments on this story when the story doesn’t even make sense. One sentence in the blog list Norris as the victim and the shooter. I’ll have to look elsewhere to find out what the actual story is because I can’t make heads or tails of this garbled mess. And you’re a professor? Wow.
that’s my nigga chico. he cool. he used to give me a ride home everyday in the hummer. but rashad my man too. he was prob crushin that nigga chico. cause he run wit a giant nigga name Joe. LMAO. Joe big as shit chico little as shit they was prob punishing that nigga to death. all good. no one is dead. another brotha gets an education. one love all them niggas…