Hundreds of supporters rally outside courthouse of Austin teen facing life in prison for pot brownies b4in.org/g4tr A 19-year old Austin resident whose life has been turned upside down after he was caught baking pot brownies in his apartment last April pleaded not guilty in a hearing on June 19. The defendant, Jacob Lavoro, is facing five years to life in prison for his charges. District Judge Rick J. Kennon addressed the courtroom’s “unusually large crowd” Thursday afternoon before resetting the teen’s court date for Aug. 6. Lavoro turned down a plea deal for second-degree felony. His lawyer, Jack Holmes, wants the charge reduced to a misdemeanor and is prepared for a fight in court if necessary. Hundreds of supporters, friends and family members rallied outside the Williamson County Courthouse for the teen’s first court appearance since his April arrest. Friends and supporters came to Jacob Lavoro’s defense, describing him as an “outstanding citizen,” one that surely, if given the chance, would contribute greatly to society. “We’re seeing one of our friends being… compared to, like, rapists and murderers who are getting less time than him, and we don’t like that,” said a friend of Lavoro. Lavoro’s friends confirmed that the teen has a clean record, “not even a speeding ticket,” they added. “I feel like, if he were to get passed this, he would contribute a lot to the community.” Lavoro’s father addressed the crowd, tearing up as he expressed his thankfulness and amazement at the support that his son’s receiving from the community. “All of our plans were to see our kids happy, go off and retire, enjoy ourselves, travel around the United States if we could, and if we couldn’t, we’d just hang out, just relax,” said Mr. Lavoro. “Well, whatever plans we had certainly for this year are done.” A former Brooklyn resident, Mr. Lavoro said he loves living in Texas, and he’s confident that the “good people of [Williamson] County will wake up” and not want to prosecute his son. More b4in.org/g4tr
Posted on: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 19:06:16 +0000
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