A Gwinnett County man who represented himself at his murder trial was convicted of lesser charges and sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison.
Sherwin Johnson, 39, was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault and cocaine possession, records show. But he was not convicted of murdering 23-year-old Kevin Pierre, who authorities said was unintentionally shot and killed during an April 2014 dispute between Johnson and another man at a Norcross apartment complex.
Gwinnett police said the argument turned physical and shots rang out, striking Pierre, who lived in the complex but was not involved in the altercation.
The 23-year-old’s body was found in a wooded area about an hour after the shooting, police said.
Johnson was arrested nine days later and chose to represent himself in the case, arguing before the Georgia Supreme Court in 2016 that his murder charge was “improper,” that he had been treated unfairly in the Gwinnett jail and that he was denied his right to a speedy trial.
His efforts were unsuccessful and the case against him moved forward.
In December, however, Johnson’s case ended in a mistrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict on some of the more serious charges, including felony murder.
The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office will not retry Johnson on the murder charge, prosecutor Charissa Henrich said Tuesday.
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Credit: � 2019 Cox Media Group.
Credit: � 2019 Cox Media Group.
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