Appeals court upholds Muncie man's convictions, 15-year sentence in gunfire case
MUNCIE, Ind. — The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a Muncie man's convictions — and 15-year prison term — stemming from a 2020 road rage incident.
A Delaware Circuit Court 2 jury in November 2021 found Billy Ray Barker Jr., 49, guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, criminal recklessness and criminal mischief.
The Muncie man had been accused of firing gunshots at a vehicle — containing both adults and children — near Memorial Drive and Madison Street.
At the time of the 2020 incident, Barker was on parole. He also was forbidden from possessing firearms as a result of his criminal record, including a 1993 conviction for voluntary manslaughter that stemmed from a fatal shooting.
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In an appeal, Barker suggested prosecutors had failed to present evidence that warranted his convictions, and also said the 15-year sentence imposed by Judge Kimberly Dowling was too harsh.
In a 3-0 decision last week, the state appeals court rejected those suggestions.
In the ruling, Judge Patricia Riley wrote that after considering "the nature and gravity" of the convictions, "we cannot say that Barker's (total) 15-year sentence was so severe and entirely out of proportion ... to shock public sentiment and violate the judgement of reasonable people."
Barker's probation was revoked in his voluntary manslaughter case.
Now held in the Pendleton Correctional Facility, Barker has a projected release date in August 2043, according to a state Department of Correction website.
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Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Court upholds Muncie man's conviction, 15-year term in gunfire case
