A Columbus man faces up to 40 years in prison for robbing two local hotels in 2014.
A Lowndes County Circuit Court jury found Keenan Montgomery, 26, guilty of two counts of armed robbery Friday after two days of witness testimony. The jury deliberated for about an hour.
When the jury handed down the verdict, Montgomery, who had interrupted the trial several times with muttered interjections, said, “Hold on, hold on,” and had to be reprimanded by both his attorney, Carrie Jourdan, and Judge Lee Coleman.
Coleman sentenced Montgomery to 25 years in prison, 20 years to serve, for each count, and the sentences will run consecutively. He won’t be eligible for parole until he serves 20 years.
Montgomery was arrested for robbing Joseph Mickens Jr. — son of Ward 2 Columbus Councilman Joseph Mickens Sr. — at the Ramada Inn on June 23, 2014, and Tiffany Young at Fairfield Inn and Suites the next day. Both Mickens and Young testified on Wednesday that Montgomery entered the hotels where they were working as clerks, pointed a gun at them and demanded money.
Along with the victims’ testimonies, the state presented fingerprint evidence investigators lifted from the counter of Fairfield Inn and Suites hours after the robbery, which matched Montgomery’s.
After the state rested on Thursday, Jourdan presented four alibi witnesses who claimed to be with Montgomery on one of the dates in question. The state, however, led by District Attorney Scott Colom and Assistant DA Trina Davidson-Brooks, asserted during closing arguments those witnesses’ testimonies were full of “inconsistencies and lies.”
Father asks for leniency
Before the sentencing, Montgomery’s father, Duane Brooks, asked the court to be lenient because his son had previously never been charged with a felony. He also described Montgomery as a “kind, intelligent young man.”
“He made a terrible mistake in judgment … but he’s young,” Brooks said. “Everybody deserves a second chance.”
He argued Montgomery is a good person and a good father who deserved the chance to be rehabilitated so he could contribute to society.
But Colom recommended 30 years on each count to be served consecutively, pointing out that Montgomery refused to take any responsibility for his crimes and had been disruptive throughout the trial.
“He doesn’t want to take any accountability,” Colom said. “Miss Jourdan, bless her, has had to control him the entire time.”
Coleman said it was a very “troubling case,” especially taking into account the defendant had a good record prior to his 2014 arrest.
“The court feels that this is the most serious thing, short of someone being injured, that can happen and that a long prison sentence is merited,” he said from the bench.
Davidson-Brooks said after the trial she was happy with the outcome.
“With respect to the trial, we don’t look at it as anybody having any winners,” she said. “There are no winners. Our jobs are to protect the public and that’s what we did today. We thought that justice was served today.”
Jourdan said while she wasn’t happy with the trial’s outcome, she thought it was fair.
“I respect the process and I respect the jury’s decision,” she said. “I understand the court’s sentencing, but at the same time, I felt it was harsh in light of my client’s … lack of felony record and prior history.
“Of course I’m always heartbroken when there’s a guilty verdict and someone is going to lose their liberty for the rest of their adult life, whatever the facts,” she added.
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