An inmate serving a 30-year sentence for a Jones County conviction for aggravated assault was back in court asking for a reduction in his sentence.
Keith Antonio Booze Jr. was represented by defense attorney Tim Lam in the July 21 motion. Superior Court Judge Alison Burleson heard the motion, and Assistant District Attorney Cara Fiore represented the state.
After listening to the arguments of the attorneys, Burleson denied the motion.
Booze’s 2021 trial was the first in Jones County following the closure of the courts during the pandemic. The defendant was arrested Aug. 22, 2019, after a witness saw him shoot at the car of his estranged girlfriend and then fire into the house with three people inside.
That final shot elevated the crime to aggravated assault.
A jury found Booze guilty of three counts of aggravated assault in Jones County Superior Court April 21, 2021. Burleson sentenced Booze to 20 years for each count. She ordered the counts to run consecutively for a total of 60 years with the first 30 years to serve. Booze received credit for time served from the date of his arrest.
The July 21 motion was heard virtually via WebEx.
Lam’s argument was that his client’s long prison sentence was excessive, and he asked for a reduction.
Fiore said Booze was found guilty at his trial and sentenced to 30 years to serve.
“The victim is here in court and said the defendant is still trying to reach out to her over social media while he is in prison,” she said. “He has a violent criminal history. I think the sentence was appropriate and should stay in place.”
Booze stated to the court that he has not tried to contact the victim.
Burleson said she was glad to hear, if true, that the defendant is not trying to contact the victim. She added that the court’s decision was not because of that allegation.
The judge stated she was very familiar with the facts in the case.
“No one was injured in the shooting, but that was no fault of Mr. Booze. His shots missed multiple people. I feel like the sentence is appropriate and deny the motion to modify it,” she said.
