oY ao Oe wn So 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 IN THE TWENTY-SIXTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT IN AND FOR THE PARISH OF BOSSIER STATE OF LOUISIANA STATE OF LOUISIANA VERSUS DOCKET NUMBER: T0819-18 SHANE CHRISTOPHER DEMOSS EVIDENCE ADDUCED AT SENTENCE in the above entitled and numbered cause, before The Honorable Michael Nerren, of the Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Court in and for the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana, on the 30th day of May, 2018, Benton, Bossier Parish, Louisiana. APPEARANCES : MR. DOUGLAS M. STINSON ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY P.O. BOX 69 BENTON, LOUISIANA 71006 MR. DAVID L. WHITE 3985 AIRLINE DRIVE BOSSIER CITY, LOUISIANA 71111 RECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED B: JENNIFER BOLDEN JEAN SELLERS MALONE CERTIFIED DIGITAL COURT REPORTER BOSSIER PARISH COURTHOUSE P. 0. BOX 310 BENTON, LOUISIANA 71006 Jean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter ‘Twenty-Sixth Judictal District Court P.O. Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) 1 CSINALMAY 30, 2018 THE COURT All right. I think we’re back on the criminal docket; is that correct Mr. Stinson? MR. STINSON: That’s correct, Your Honor. It’s Shane Demoss. It’s a traffic matter but placed on today’s docket. That is T0819-18, bottom of page three. © ear HV Hoe wKHH THE 10 Mr. Demoss, step up and state your name for the a. record. 12 |MR. DEMOss: 13 Shane Demoss. 14 |THE COURT: 15 All right. Mr. White, you were not with Mr. Demoss 16 previously, but my understanding is -- and I know you! ve 17 filed motions so that’s gonna enroll you as attorney of 18 record in the case. That’s what you wish to do correct? a9 | MR. WHITE: 20 That's correct, Your Honor. 21 |THE couRT: 22 All right. Show Mr. White enrolled to represent 23 Mr. Demoss in this matter. What’s the situation? It’s 24 set for remand. 25 | MR. WHITE: 26 Yes, Your Honor. I filed a motion to vacate the 27 guilty plea and we're gonna withdraw that motion, Your 28 Honor. We're ready for sentencing today. 29 |THE couRT: 30 All right. So, Madam Clerk, and I’m - I’m assuming 31 also the -- there was a continuance and a ~ a motion to 32 withdraw. You're - you're withdrawing both motions? ‘Jean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter ‘Twenty-Steth Judicial District Court P. O. Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) 2MR. WHIT! Correct, Your Honor. THE COURT: All right. Show Mr. White present. Show both motions that were filed, the continuance and the motion to withdraw guilty plea, recalled at this time. That sets in a position for remand or sentencing. You ready to proceed with that? eo orn wee wone 10 Correct, Your Honor. 11 |MR. STINSON: 12 And, Your Honor, Ms. Grantham is present and I've 13 been informed that she would like to address the court 14 if you'll entertain that, Your Honor. 15 16 Where is -- 17 | MR. STINSON: 18 She's 19 | THE couRT: 20 In fact, I -- I’m gonna guess that we have more 21 interested parties than just Ms. Grantham. If you are 22 involved or are here in the Demoss case and you are in 23 the audience if I’d ask you if you could stand up, 24 please. 25 |MR. ANDREW JACOBS: 26 Some are already standing, Your Honor, in the back. 27 | THE couRT: 28 Okay. First of all, 1/11 let you know I appreciate 29 you being here. I know you have a significant interest 30 in the outcome of this traffic matter and - and - and I 31 know -- understand the circumstances that surround it. 32 Ms. Grantham, where is Ms. Grantham? Ms. Grantham, if ‘Jean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter Twenty-Stxth Judictal District Court P. 0. Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) a~awewone © @ 10 1 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 you want to come forward it is -- I’m gonna just kind of lay it out so everybody understands where we are. 1 understand it is a horrific situation and certainly had horrific outcome, but I want to make sure everybody understands before we move forward there’s certain situations that I have to deal with, one of which is this is a traffic matter. In other words, it came to me on a traffic charge and I have to deal with it as a traffic charge. But, Ms. Grantham, I’m still gonna give you a couple of minutes to put your position on the record. So if you want to come forward to the podium I/1l let you do it at this time. And just state your name. MS. GRANTHAM: THE COURT Morgan Grantham. All right. And, Ms. Grantham, anything you want to let the court know obviously, obviously it has to be -- I - I can’t give you just free run because of the size of the audience, but I do want to give you enough time to state what it is that you think the court needs to be aware of. MS. GRANTHAM: Thank you. If you would met my Katie she would have loved you even if you didn’t like her and even if I didn’t like you because that’s all she ever knew and I’m grateful for that. And whatever sentence that you’ re sentenced to it won't justify anything. And you didn’t set out that morning to kill Katie Grantham and I know that, but your consequences have action. And if you're sentenced to fifteen days or to thirty days or to ninety days in my heart what I go back to was fifteen days ‘Jean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter ‘Twenty-Sixth Judiclal Distriet Court P. 0. Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) 4eo ora n ew ne 10 a 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 later I was still in a walker and I couldn’t pick up my baby boy. And it’s a life sentence for me, but I also believe that it’s a life sentence for you too because you're not gonna remember her like I do and you're not gonna love her like I do but every once in a while you will see her face and - and you will remember that your choices had consequences. And when you get to see your kids get married and when you get to see them graduate you may only remember for a moment, but you will remember that I have to visit my baby at the cemetery and you get to see your grows -- see yours grow up. And - and I’m - I’m sorry that you make those choices. I never -- I never believed that someone else’s sin -- I thought I was protected and - and I know that I am. And I -~ the next time that I get to see my baby I will get to be with her forever and none of this will be here. I’m sorry you made that choice. I - I hope that you make better choices because I don’t want this for your life. And it doesn’t, I mean, fifteen days, thirty days, ninety days, none of that, I mean, whatever, It just -- it just doesn’t -- that part of it just doesn’t matter. My prayer for you is that you have a heart change because people that feel loved don’t do things like you -- like you do. And my Katie loved and so my prayer for you is that -- is that you feel loved by the people that love you and that you know your worth because it’s only then that people make true heart changes. And so that’s - that’s my prayer for you. Thank you. THE COURT: Thank you, Ms. Grantham. Mr. Demoss, back to the podium. There’s a lot of things I could say to you, Mr. ‘Jean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter ‘Twenty-Stxth Judielal District Court P. O. Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) 5eo orn we wne 10 a 12 13 14 15 16 a7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Demoss, but I think Ms. Grantham probably put it as best as it could be put. And I can’t imagine what Ms Grantham and their family’s going through. I’ve never been through that before, but the fact that she said what she said tells a lot. She recognizes that you did not intentionally do this act, that you didn’t set out to do it. And she hopes and she recognized the fact that in some shape, form or fashion although the part she has to deal with much, much more severe, much, much more of a mental strain that what you deal with, that you still have issues that you’re gonna have to deal with it for the rest of your life. She’s acknowledged that. That’d be very tough for me to do or someone else to do, but she’s done it. So that speaks to -- that speaks to the understanding that Ms. Grantham has of the situation as horrific as it is, you understand? Now as far as sentencing in this matter, and I want to make sure everybody in the court understands, there are certain things I can and I cannot do. And ultimately I am dealing with a traffic matter and that limits what options are available to me significantly. There -- I - I can’t do what Ms. Grantham or the family would like to do. They would like me to -- or they would like to have their child back. They would like me to have some situation where I could have the child back, can’t do that. So nothing that happens, and Ms. Grantham acknowledged that, nothing that happens is really going to be a - a appropriate solution. All that being said I just want to make sure everybody understands where we are, again, sentencing you on a traffic matter. And I told you before when you entered your plea that because of your past history, traffic related history, that you ‘Jean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter Twenty-Stxth Judicial Distriet Court P.O. Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) 6worn n ew ne 10 a 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 THE COURT: are exposed. And I still think that’s the situation and it has to have some ramifications. And as Ms. Grantham stated, there are certain consequences to your actions. So, again, I acknowledge when I move forward that this is not going to be satisfactory to anybody involved There’s nothing I can do to satisfy the people involved, but I will deal with you as I think’s appropriate in a traffic related offense which is what this has come to me as what you entered a plea to. The maximum sentence in this charge is thirty days. So that’s what I have before me. I -- I’m gonna deal with you on your record which we went over at some detail previously and I am going to sentence you to serve ten days in the parish jail. And I’m going, you know Mr. Demoss you have to have some ramification for your history and your actions. I -- I’m not trying to put you in a position where you lose your job or anything of that nature, but you have to understand there are consequences. I’m gonna sentence you to ten days in jail and that’s ten actual days, it’s not any good time. That’s ten days If I sentenced you to thirty you'd be eligible for good time and you would get fifteen, but at ten you just ten actual days. Now, Mr. Demoss, are you working? You - I know you were, you’re not working where you were. Are you employed now? DEMOSS: Yes, sir. All right. So I’ll give you -- I/11 give you the options and I/11 let you speak, step back away from the mic and talk to your attorney. It’s ten straight days you can start now and serve it. If it’s an issue as to ‘Jean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter Twenty-Stxth Judiclal District Court P.O. Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) 7your employment then you can serve five consecutive weekends. That’s gonna be Friday at six till Sunday at six straight through all ten days. And the only reason I do that is because I’m not trying to put you ina position to lose your job, but that’s the ramifications on the traffic end. And again, that not - not so much what the horrific outcome of the case, but because of your prior traffic record. You want to step back from © oIanwe wn the mic and speak to - to your attorney? 10 |MR. WHITE: a Yes, Your Honor, he wants to do the weekends. We 12 discussed that and if we could, Judge, we could start 13 that June 8th so he can get some things in order with 14 his employer. 15 |THE couRT: 16 And here's the situation, it doesn’t matter when I 17 start it Mr. Demoss, you need to understand this; if you 18 don’t show up on that date which is gonna be a June 8tha 19 week from Friday. If you don’t show up on that date on 20 time then all bets are off and you -- they’1l just once 22 they pick you up you'll do ten straight days, you 22 understand? So I’m sentencing you to ten days, no good 23 time, and that starts Friday six o’clock June 8th. You 24 are to report immediately to the facility, the Bossier 25 Max Facility at Plain Dealing and they will book you in. 26 Again, if you ever miss a day then they’ll just pick you 27 up and the weekend’s off. You'll just have to serve 28 straight through. Do you understand? 29 |r. DEMOss: 30 Yes, sir. 31 | THE couRT: 32 Mr. White, any questions? ‘Jean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter Twenty-Stxth Judicial District Court P. O. Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) 8eer Hn He wn MR. WHITE: No, Your Honor. THE COURT: Mr. Sinson, any questions? MR. STINSON: No, Your Honor. Thank you. THE COURT: All right. That is the sentence of the court. Again, don’t make the mistake on not showing up June @th 10 on that deal. Ms. Grantham and the rest of the family a. who are present, I thank y’all very much. I wish I 12 could do something more to solve the problem you have or 13 to ease the pain you're going through. I acknowledge 14 that it is significant, but again, I can’t really do 15 what the family wishes or would want. Thank you for 16 being here and I hope at some point in time in the 17 future you find some peace or you’re able to move on. 18 Thank you very much. Mr. Demoss, you may need to talk 19 to me. I don’t know if Mr. Sheriff has to do any 20 paperwork or give you any information as far as where 21 you have to show up, but I reiterate make sure you're 22 there. Probably need to be there at five forty-five 23 each Friday and that’s five consecutive weekends, do not 24 miss. 25 |MR. DEMOSS: 26 Yes, sir. 27 |THE COURT: 28 Thank you. 29 (END OF HEARING) 30 31 32 ‘ean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter Twenty-Stxth Judiclal District Court P.O, Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) 9eo eran e one 10 a 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 CERTIFICATE THIS CERTIFICATION is valid only for a transcript accompanied by my original signature and original seal on this page. I, JEAN SELLERS MALONE, Official or Deputy Official Court Reporter in and for the State of Louisiana, employed as an official or deputy official court reporter by the Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Court for the State of Louisiana, as the officer before whom this testimony was taken, do hereby certify that this testimony was reported by JENNIFER BOLDEN in the digital reporting method, was prepared and transcribed by me or under my direction and supervision, and is a true and correct transcript to the best of my ability and understanding, that the transcript has been prepared in compliance with transcript format guidelines required by the statute or by rules of the board or by the Supreme Court of Louisiana, and that I am not related to counsel or to the parties herein nor am I otherwise interested in the outcome of this matter. Given under my hand of office this 7th day of June, 2018. SELLERS MALONE CERTIFIED DIGITAL REPORTER 26th JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT COURT REPORTER #2282010 ‘Jean Sellers Malone Certified Digital Reporter Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Court P. 0. Box 310, Benton, LA 71006 (318-965-2217) 10