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By
Braden Hamelin [former]
- August 2, 2022
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A Baltimore man was sentenced to eight years in prison Aug. 2 for manslaughter and use of a firearm in a crime of violence before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John Nugent for an incident, where he shot and killed his stepson.
Micheal Joseph, 45, was convicted of shooting and killing his 25-year-old stepson, Kamari Ivery-Williams, during a business argument on Feb 12, 2021, a shooting Joseph claimed was in self-defense but was contradicted by eyewitness testimony from the victim’s stepbrother showing Joseph as the aggressor.
Ivery-Williams’ mother gave a victim impact statement, saying Joseph’s actions had created extreme emotional and psychological damage to their family, causing two of her children to attempt suicide.
Additionally, she said Joseph robbed Ivery-Williams of the chance at life and starting a family.
“The hole in my heart grows with each passing day,” she said.
Several family and friends spoke on Joseph’s behalf at his sentencing hearing, emphasizing how important he was to the community and what a loving father he was to his three children, including Ivery-Williams.
Another victim impact statement from the victim’s step-uncle asked the judge to look beyond the whole picture and not turn a “blind eye” to the violent crime, which he said the people speaking for Joseph were doing.
The step-uncle also said Joseph was violent towards him in the past and the good public appearance he put forward was “sociopathic” in nature.
Upon careful examination of the evidence, including the fact that Joseph legally owned and carried his gun and the impact statements from both sides, Judge Nugent decided to sentence him to eight years for manslaughter and a concurrent eight years, with the first five without parole, for the use of a handgun during a crime of violence. He is receiving credit for time already served.
Joseph’s defense attorney Brandon Mead also filed a motion for a new trial but was swifty denied.
Joseph is now required to register as a gun offender due to his conviction.