Judge Sentences Black Teen to Life in Prison
1. The Verdict
Seventeen-year-old Marcus Johnson is sentenced in a tense courtroom after being convicted of armed robbery.
Judge Carter declares, “The sentence imposed by this court… is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.”
Marcus insists he was studying that night, but the jury disagreed.
2. National Shock
During his phone call, he tells his father, “They said I did it. But I didn’t.” When the bailiff realizes Marcus’s father is the U.S.
Attorney General, the story explodes nationwide. His father responds publicly:
“My son is innocent… this is about every Black teenager in America who has been presumed guilty before even being heard.”
3. The Case Reopens
New footage proves Marcus was elsewhere.
The eyewitness recants, and the prosecution’s case collapses.
4. Freedom and Reform
The jury announces, “Not guilty on all charges.”
Marcus is freed, and his father launches a national effort to address wrongful convictions.
