Justin Ross Harris was sentenced this month to spend the rest of his life in prison – no possibility of parole – for the hot-car murder of his 22-month-old son, Cooper.
Before she sent Harris to prison forever, though, the judge wanted to thank everyone connected to the case. Except for Harris. After all the thank yous and accolades, the judge turned to the orange-clad Harris and lowered the boom.
The prosecution thinks it got the correct result. The defense believes otherwise and promises to appeal.
And what do you think? Breakdown host Bill Rankin asked several listeners for their take on the verdict and sentence, and you’re deeply split.
Many believe Harris got what was coming to him (and some even wish he could be executed for Cooper’s death). “There’s no way, unless you have dementia, that you would have forgot your child that quickly,” said one. “The level of depravity it took to walk away from that car and leave him there. . . . if any case deserved the death penalty, this one does.”
Others think Harris was punished for being a bad person, but not for malice murder. “Because he’s a scumbag doesn’t mean he’s a murderer,” said another. “I personally could not have found him guilty of malice murder or felony murder . . . . they didn’t prove it to me.”
