Ann Arbor Criminal Defense Blog
Cyntoia Brown was found guilty of first-degree murder, first degree felony murder, and aggravated robbery when she was just 16 years old. She was tried as an adult and sentenced to 51 years in prison before being eligible for parole.
Who is Cyntoia Brown?
Brown was be sold for sex by a pimp. About 15 years ago Johnny Mitchell Allen bought Brown for sex and brought her back to his home despite her opposition. Brown observed a large gun cabinet in Allen’s home. Allen reached for something under his bed and Brown believed he was reaching for a gun to kill her. In self-defense she pulled out a gun from her purse shooting and killing Allen. In the trial the prosecutor convinced the jury the murder was the result of a robbery gone wrong as Brown had taken Allen’s wallet and fled the scene.
Celebrities Kim Kardashian-West and Rihanna have lobbied publicly for Brown’s release. She was released August 7th, 2019 after being granted clemency by Bill Haslam, the Tennessee Governor.
Brown has since received her associates and bachelors degree while serving 15 years in prison. She has counseled and mentored at risk youth during her incarceration. She plans on starting a non-profit organization geared at helping young citizens that faced challenges similar to hers.
ArborYpsi Law Takeaways
Brown’s case demonstrates that not every story is black and white. She was clearly a traumatized, frightened teen that feared for her life at the time of Allen’s murder. We, as a society, need to not come to such quick conclusions about the fate of another person’s life. There were many factors in this case that caused Brown to react in the manner that she did. The main factor being that she was the victim of rape and sexual assault. Simply put Brown was a child trying to survive in a deadly environment. We cannot fault her for protecting herself and fighting back.
Call us
Call Sam Bernstein at 734-883-9584 or e-mail at bernstein@arborypsilaw.com.
Sam Bernstein is a Criminal Defense Attorney in Ann Arbor, MI.
ArborYpsi Law is located at 2750 Carpenter Rd #2 Ann Arbor, MI 48108.
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ArborYpsi Law Focuses on Criminal Defense
Sam Bernstein is a criminal defense lawyer in Washtenaw County. He has represented clients in Oakland, Livingston, Macomb, Wayne, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Jackson County. He has practiced criminal defense in Canton, Plymouth, Novi, Northville, Westland, Brighton, Howell, Wyandotte, South Lyon, Warren, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Saline, Taylor, Dexter, amount other Metro-Detroit cities. We travel for our clients wherever we’re needed.
If you have been charged with a felony call ArborYpsi Law. Attorney Sam Bernstein specializes in criminal defense cases. ArborYpsi law represents clients charged with sexual assault, rape, assault and battery, divorce, traffic tickets, DUIs, DWIs, drug crimes, domestic violence, retail fraud and/or shop lifting, child abuse and/or child endangerment.
Attorney Sam Bernstein regularly attends Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM) conferences to continue his education in criminal defense matters. He is well versed in dealing with felony charges and has obtained favorable outcomes for his clients.