Rosier was tried as an adult for the animal’s murder.
Reports Sun Sentinel:
“That’s not the person that I am,” Rosier, now 18, said Friday, more than two months after a jury found him guilty of the Nov. 18, 2012 crimes. “The person that I am is a loving, caring person … I’m not a vicious person, I’m not a ruthless person.”
But Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Robin Rosenberg, declined to treat Rosier as a youthful offender worthy of a light punishment, and sentenced him as an adult to 23 years in state prison.
Deeming Rosier a youthful offender “would not be supported by logic and reason” because of the “serious nature” of the felony charges, Rosenberg said. She noted the “horrific and tragic facts” concerning the shooting of Drake, a 5-year-old German shepherd who had to be euthanized because of his injuries.
State Attorney Dave Aronberg, who was in the courtroom for Rosier’s testimony and sentencing, applauded the outcome. It was a high-profile case for his office, which asked for Rosier to be locked up for the next 30 years.
“It was a fair sentence and justice was done,” Aronberg said.
Rosier’s 20-year-old friend Gilson Gilles is expected to get the same treatment when he is sentenced next month for the same crime. Jack Fleischman, Rosier’s lawyer, vowed to appeal the judge’s decision and called the crime “juvenile,” citing reason for a shorter sentence of six years for being a youthful offender.
Sound off in the comments if you think the punishment was just or just overboard. Before you comment, take a look at the pictures of the suffering dog in the pages below.
—
Photos: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, YouTube
