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”GI Joe” Changes His Plea, Sentenced To Ten
posted (June 30, 2017)
Cecil Franklin, a career criminal known as GI Joe was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison this afternoon, after changing his plea from not guilty to guilty to avoid wasting time in trial.

Franklin is accused of robbing and wounding Janette Seawell last December. She had just finished a night of partying and was on Central American Boulevard trying to get home when Franklin approached her.

She knows him, and told the court he offered her a place to stay for the night, and when she refused, he snatched her phone, and dragged her by the neck into a nearby alley. Franklin then allegedly struck her to the left side of the face, and ordered her to strip. Fearing for her life, Seawell began to shout for help, which caused Franklin to run away.

In his testimony, Franklin told Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser, that Seawell's account was false. According to Franklin, he and another man came across Seawell at the bus stop, and while the she told him that her boyfriend had just beat her. Franklin claimed that her boyfriend was in their presence and got offended and rode off angrily. Then after a few minutes, Seawell's boyfriend came back, and Franklin fled.

After giving his account, Franklin told Fraser that he did not want to waste time in court, and changed his plea to guilty, accepting the charges. Before deciding on a sentence, Fraser asked Seawell what she wanted to see happen to Franklin. Seawell responded by admitting that she feared Franklin would have raped her that night, and could not see why he should not be sent to prison for a long time.

Franklin asked for leniency, but the Magistrate told him the because of his notorious criminal past, she could not give him the minimum sentence. Fraser eventually decided to sentence him to 6 years for the robbery and 4 years for wounding, but ordered that they be served concurrently. So, Franklin will serve a total of 6 years in prison.

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