The sentence is in; the case is over

Superior Court Judge Milton F. "Toby" Fitch has given James Johnson, who entered an "Alford plea" this morning, a prayer for judgment continued for his admission of misprision of a felony in the 2004 murder of Brittany Willis. Johnson, who has been out on bail since the charges and bond against him were reduced a year ago, is free to go. By admitting the evidence could convict him of misprision of a felony, Johnson was admitting that evidence existed that he delayed reporting of a felony.

That admission will not satisfy some critics who were convinced that Johnson not only was an accessory after the fact of murder, the charge he faced had he gone to trial this week, but actually had a larger role in Willis' kidnapping, rape and murder. But Johnson's admission should disillusion some of his staunchest defenders, who asserted he was a hero for pointing police toward Kenneth Meeks, who is serving a life term after pleading guilty to the murder. The case against a third suspect, Julian Deans, remains to be adjudicated.

Judge Fitch went out of his way to pronounce the seriousness of a prayer for judgment continued when he handed down the sentence. It cannot be appealed and cannot be expunged, he said. It will hang over Johnson forever. But any defendant who ever asked for a PJC probably didn't see it as quite so serious as Fitch claimed.

Except for the loose end of Julian Deans, who was never seen as a major participant, this case is over, and Johnson's light sentence implies Deans' case will disappear quickly. It will now be up to the divided community to resolve that the court system has spoken, and it's time to for division and antagonism to end. Kenneth Meeks will spend the rest of his life in prison. James Johnson will have to live with the knowledge of what he did or didn't do. And the community will have to try to heal the wounds of a cruel, senseless murder and deep, caustic division.

Long-delayed case goes to trial

James Johnson's trial begins today at the Wilson County Courthouse, nearly five years after Brittany Willis was brutally kidnapped, raped and murdered. Johnson, who spent three years in jail awaiting trial, is not charged with murder. That charge was dropped, and he is now charged with accessory after the fact.

This case would have been an emotional volcano even if it had gone to trial promptly. The inexcusably long delay in getting the case before a jury has made it even more volatile. Competing vigils have been held. The state NAACP and other groups have come to the defense of Johnson, and some local residents have formed a loose association touting J4B (Justice for Brittany) bumper stickers. Just what constitutes "justice" is unstated, but presumably the group wants more than the one confession and life imprisonment already obtained in the case. Any additional punishment (if that is how justice is defined) will be in the hands of a jury. If Johnson is acquitted, I fear the J4B group will not think justice has been done. If Johnson is convicted, I fear his supporters will think an injustice has been done.

On the eve of the trial, the Associated Press (as carried by the News & Observer) botched a precede on the case, stating "Meeks told authorities Johnson had participated in the crimes, leading them to charge Johnson with murder. He remained in jail for the next three years, during which time a jury convicted him and sentenced him to life in prison." The vague choice of pronouns (who is the he referred to in the last sentence?) is confusing, but the sentence itself is wrong, regardless of the pronoun's antecedent. Kenneth Meeks, whom Johnson fingered as the killer, initially told police that Johnson was an accomplice. After months in jail, Meeks changed his story, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison, the maximum sentence state law allowed because of his age at the time of the crime. Johnson has admitted helping Meeks clean evidence from Brittany's stolen vehicle.

In the past five years, I've talked to people who can't believe Johnson could have participated in this horrendous crime. I've also talked to people in law enforcement who are equally convinced that Johnson was present, at least, when Brittany was murdered. I've read a transcript of Meeks' confession, and it gives you nauseated chills. I don't know how this week's trial will come out or how convincing the evidence to be presented will be. I do know that after this is over, the people on both sides of this issue will have to live together and accept the outcome of a jury trial. That will require if not forgiveness, at least acceptance — acceptance of the fact that a young life has been senselessly destroyed and at least one young man will have to spend the rest of his life with the guilt of that reality.