Prison sentence for accomplice in fatal shooting sparks courtroom chaos

Apr. 13—URBANA — Screaming, shoving and sobbing all erupted at once Wednesday in a crowded Champaign County courtroom the minute a judge sentenced an Urbana teen to 10 years in prison for his role in the shooting death of a Champaign teen he said was his friend.

Family and friends of the victim, Nizeri Carter, thought the sentence was too low, while family and friends of Thomas Woodson were upset that he'll have to serve at least 8 1/2 years behind bars.

The anger, sorrow and frustration they all have been storing up for the past five months since Ms. Carter's death boiled to the surface and came out in force minutes before 3 p.m., sending Judge Randy Rosenbaum to the safety of his chambers as 10 court security officers and about four Champaign police detectives who were present for the hearing all tried in vain to regain order.

The agitated spectators — there had been about 30 people in addition to the court support staff in Rosenbaum's smaller courtroom — spilled into the hallway outside the courtroom, continuing to yell and cry as security officers tried to keep anyone from being hurt while clearing the building.

The unusually loud commotion interrupted a murder trial being heard by a jury in the courtroom next door.

The sniping continued as the spectators spilled on to Main Street outside the courthouse, with a still-hyped-up Iresha Washington, mother of the victim, getting on her three-wheeled motorcycle and riding up and down in front of the courthouse a couple of times before leaving the area.

Courthouse security officers and Urbana police were on the sidewalks and in the street trying to calm the upset spectators and keep anyone from being hit by the traffic that had slowed to watch the disturbance.

Only minutes earlier, the 17-year-old Woodson had his first chance to be heard when Rosenbaum gave him a chance to speak before imposing his sentence.

"I'm sorry for my actions. I feel terribly bad for what happened," Woodson said. "I wish I could go back. I know how it feels to lose a loved one."

His words and tears meant little to Washington, who had earlier urged the judge to impose the maximum 15 years in prison that Woodson could have received after pleading guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm.

"Fifteen years would do me some justice," a bereft Washington said of the slaying of her only child, "my baby girl, my best friend."

Based on evidence gathered by Champaign police, authorities believe that co-defendant Keshawn Brown, 18, of Champaign, fired the shot that killed Ms. Carter and that Woodson's gun jammed as he fired it in the direction of Ms. Carter.

"If Thomas hadn't pulled that trigger, it woulda set differently with me. I thought she was your friend. Just take that (15 years). It ain't even no time," Washington said on the stand.

Washington, who was clearly upset, went in and out of the courtroom several times during the almost two-hour hearing. Several other spectators did as well.

Sentencing discussion

Before the hearing began, Assistant State's Attorney Kristin Alferink and Public Defender Lis Pollock were with Rosenbaum in his office discussing for several minutes what was described as mitigation intended to lessen Woodson's sentence.

Exactly what cooperation he may have offered the state was kept out of the public eye, but Alferink, in her argument, said the state had already considered his assistance when it offered to let him plead guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm instead of prosecuting him for first-degree murder on the theory that he was accountable for the actions of Brown.

If Brown is convicted of murder, he faces 45 years to life in prison. He's due back in court in May.

Ms. Carter was shot about 4:50 p.m. Nov. 4 in the 1100 block of North Elm Street, Champaign, by two masked men later identified as Woodson and Brown. She died several hours later at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Woodson could have received probation for his Class 1 felony conviction or four to 15 years.

To aggravate his sentence, Alferink had Champaign police Detective Stephen Vogel testify about how police focused their investigation on Woodson and Brown. He also described several photos he had taken from Woodson's Facebook page showing him with a number of different guns at times before and after Ms. Carter's shooting. Woodson left the area after the shooting and was arrested in Atlanta on Dec. 22, seven weeks after her death.

Under questioning by Pollock, Vogel described Brown as a gang member who gave a number of conflicting statements when arrested.

Vogel said police ultimately learned that Brown was angry with Ms. Carter because she had stolen Brown's girlfriend, and that that was the apparent motive for the shooting.

The detective said Brown and Woodson began hanging out together only a few months earlier following the June shooting death of their mutual friend, Prentiss Jackson. The 18-year-old was fatally shot in a car at the Mach 1 gas station on Bloomington Road during a "pop-up party."

'A tragedy all around'

Alferink argued that the lack of a motive on Woodson's part to kill Ms. Carter was no reason to feel sorry for him or lessen his sentence.

"The state asks you to consider that he was seeking to kill Nizeri Carter," she argued.

She noted he was on probation for possession of a weapon at the time of the shooting, was chronically skipping classes, failing all his subjects and using cannabis.

"This was not a mistake. This was an active decision," Alferink argued, urging the judge to reject the letters of support for Woodson that said he was merely following a bad crowd.

Taking into consideration whatever help Woodson gave police and the state, she recommended a sentence of 13 years in prison.

But Pollock said there was no question that Woodson was indeed a child of only 16 when he hooked up with Brown and other older gang members last fall.

"Thomas Woodson has no problem with Nizeri Carter. He didn't plan to hurt her. He was influenced by older adults who were carrying guns," she argued.

She urged the judge to consider letters of support from his family, an employer and a basketball coach. She also noted that he is now making good grades in his classes in detention.

"There is just as much positive about Thomas Woodson as there is negative," Pollock argued, asking for time served of 121 days or boot camp.

Before announcing his sentence, Rosenbaum said it was clear this wasn't Woodson's first experience with guns.

"This is a tragedy all around. There are a number of factors I have to consider, especially because of his youth: age, impulsivity, his level of maturity, his degree of participation, including his level of planning," Rosenbaum said.

Rosenbaum noted Woodson's use of the word "stupid" to describe what happened.

"I can't think of a more stupid mistake than being around people with guns and having someone die as a result of that," the judge said.