The Garden City Telegram
NEW E-Edition!
Subscription
Required
Add Your Comment | Read (16) Comments
G.C. man receives concurrent life sentences
Published 1/31/2012 in Local News
Sentence means West not eligible for parole for about 46 years.
BY JOSEPH JACKMOVICH
jjackmovich@gctelegram.com
A Garden City man convicted of rape against a minor, among other charges, was sentenced Monday in a standing-room only court room to four concurrent life sentences with approximately 46 years before the possibility of parole.
Judge Michael Quint gave Lorenzo West, 28, concurrent sentences on all the 11 counts he was convicted of in December 2011. Those counts were three counts of rape against a minor younger than 14, one count of criminal sodomy, two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a minor, aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated intimidation of a witness, and one count of criminal threat. Quint said the controlling sentence would be the count of aggravated kidnapping, which upon completion would open West to the possibility of parole. The sentence given for the aggravated kidnapping was 554 months, or a little more than 46 years.
The three counts of rape and the count of criminal sodomy fell under Jessica's Law, which requires a mandatory life sentence with 25 years before the possibility of parole. The charges stemmed from a Nov. 10, 2010, arrest that initially only included the physical abuse counts. The charges were amended in January 2011 when the sexual abuse was discovered. The offenses were against the daughter of West's girlfriend, who he was living with at the time.
While Quint gave the ruling, he said he grew to respect how West dealt with the trial and also that his family support was noteworthy. He said that the jury was conscientious in deciding the verdict and that it was not his place to substitute his judgement for theirs.
The prosecution, which consisted of Deputy Finney County Attorney Tamara Hicks and Assistant Finney County Attorney Jennifer Cunningham, asked that West receive consecutive sentences for all of his 11 convictions. Cunningham gave several reasons for the county's recommendations, including West's previous criminal history and a violent incident that she said left the victim so bruised in the face that her school's resource officer could not recognize her.
Chief Public Defender Christi Cott presented motions to depart the counts to a lower place on the sentencing grid, which would have significantly decreased the amount of time West would serve. She asked for a sentence of approximately 24 years total for all the counts, which she said was the minimum as required by law if the departures were accepted.
Cott said that West had not been convicted of any sexual crime in the past and that he has taken responsibility for his previous violent history, which included a count of aggravated child endangerment against another one of the children in the home. Cott said West accepts his problems with violence but adamantly denies any of the sexual charges ever took place.
"The facts of this case do not warrant a life sentence," Cott said.
Several witnesses were called before the sentence was handed down, including four family members of West, West himself and the victim.
West's aunt, Alvina Cruz-Rivera, said that West was a hardworking and responsible man. She said that she believes West was wrongly convicted and that her goal now is to move forward and help him fight the conviction.
"You are about to join the statistics of thousands of men and women in the U.S. which in my opinion are wrongly convicted," Cruz-Rivera said.
West also testified, saying he has been working his whole life with few gaps in employment. He said he had been on probation three times in the past and had successfully completed the requirements each time. When Cott asked him how many of his family and friends were there to support him, he estimated the number at 20.
"Everybody that means something to me," West said in regard to who came to show support for him at the proceeding.
The last witness called was the victim, who has not been named because she is a victim of a sex crime. She spoke briefly, stating that she was saving the lives of other girls by coming forward. She said that West could have killed her the night he was alleged to have slammed her head against a toilet several times.
"I can't believe I fell in love with you," she said. "I wish I never met you."
After the sentencing, the victim said that she was mostly happy with the sentence, though she was hoping for life without the possibility of parole. She said that West has a horrible temper and has no business being around young girls.
"Justice had to be served," she said.
West's family stayed for a short while after the hearing was over, discussing the sentencing with each other. Cindy West, Lorenzo West's mother, said that she was actually feeling pretty good now that the sentencing was behind her.
She said that this whole process has been incredibly difficult for her to deal with and now she can focus on moving forward with an appeal, which Cott intends to file soon. When asked about how these past months have affected her, Cindy West said that she has let go of the anger and accepted what has happened.
"This wasn't a stranger, but someone who was part of our family," West said. "But I'm not going to let it ruin my life. I'm just going to help my son as best I can."
Found 16 comment(s)!
Right to your own opinion
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of this man and of this case. Not one of you were there in the courtroom and heard the descrepencies in this case. This man has admitted that he did wrong, no one is stating that he is a saint and does not deserve a punishment. He should be punished for what he is guilty for and nothing more. As people how can you sit there and say things about someone you don't know like he is a monster, let the prison system get him, etc. One day maybe this maybe someone you know in this situation and you would not want anyone to talk about them. Your opinion is exactly that yours and the ultimate judge in this whole ordeal is God. You would not want others to pass judgement on you, as no one is perfect!!!!
Posted by: Betty Rubble on 2/13/2012
Great guy right.
Good men dont find themselves in trouble with the law time and again...so everytime he's been in trouble with the law let me guess...he was innocent every time..Whatever I am glad for his sentence and hope he finds karma in the prison system.
Posted by: Juls on 2/10/2012
Get Real!
To all the family who says we "don't know the truth" get real. You honestly think someone is going to tell you the truth about something horrible they did to a child or anyone else, you all are living in a fantasy world. Everyone in prison is innocent if you listen to their side of the story. I am so sick of the family always saying "we know the truth." The only one who knows the truth is that little girl and the man CONVICTED of these crimes. I get that it is hard to think someone you love is capable of these types of crimes but you aren't helping yourself by playing this "we know the truth" game. YOU WEREN'T THERE. In the eyes of the law he is guilty and until proven otherwise he should be treated like the CONVICTED criminal he is. If you don't like the way our justice system is ran change it or move to a country that supports your way of thinking.
Posted by: Living in the Real World on 2/9/2012
Victim
As a victim of sexual abuse, I can tell you that what has been done to this child IS something that will be with her forever. I am sorry, but no matter how good Lorenzo is to those that know him, he did something horrible that will haunt this child FOREVER. With that, I hope that you all that back him up understand that he needs to pay for what he did.
Posted by: Alisia on 2/5/2012
Perfect Justice?
Perfect Justice is when EVERYONE is treated fairly and someone innocent doesn't go to prison. Perfect Justice really doesn't exist, because if it did then there would be no problems with our court systems. No appealete courts, no pardons, no wrongful convictions exonerated, etc...
Posted by: W. Flint on 2/3/2012
I support Stacy and Lorenzo
I am his cousin as well. I feel if people don't know about the situation the really shouldn't have their opinion about it. What you read in the newspaper is only what the person writes about. There is so much more to this story. Lorenzo is not what you think of him. He is an innocent man convicted because a young girl was mad at her parent and lashed out and accused him of heinous crimes. She said she lied about it but yet still he is convicted. But in the end all the ignorant comments made are not going to break my family or the most important person, Lorenzo. I support him til the end of time! If you dont' know the facts you really shouldn't say a thing.
Posted by: Daniella Otero on 2/3/2012
Behind Him 100%
It’s unbelievable what people will say about a person they barely know. Monstrous! Deserves what he gets! Those men are going to torture you forever! Assailant! A horrible person! I stand behind my cousin, Lorenzo, regardless of what anyone may say, regardless of what the papers may say. We, his family, know of his innocents. Yes, he did admit to doing wrong, he knows what he did was wrong, that shows Lorenzo’s compassion and character. He isn’t going to lie, he has no reason to lie, he never has! However, you as people yourselves don’t know the truth about this child or Lorenzo; he is an amazing young man. He, himself has been through some trials in his life, but he has always held his head high. He will continue to fight the good fight; We will all be by his side until the very end!
Posted by: family on 2/3/2012
A sad situation
There’s probably more going on here than just physical and sexual abuse of a child. Why is the girlfriend standing behind him? Maybe she was a victim of his abuse too. Nobody in the frame of mind could stand by and watch someone hurt her children. Mr. West is where he belongs—for now. He deserves to be incarcerated for his crimes regardless of his race. I hope the girlfriend and her daughter can get the help they need to put this horrible experience behind them.
Posted by: Concerned parent on 2/2/2012
Incredible
I can't help but wonder what the victim is feeling or who will support HER if her mother and all their friends are backing the assailant. God help them all.
Posted by: ME on 2/2/2012
Really Aniv?
Wow racism! Nobody looked at it like but you! So then since he is black/mexican he shouldn't be held accountable for crimes that even he himself admitted to doing? Maybe if/when you have kids a stepfather will come in the picture and slam their head against a toilet until their face is unrecognizable and no matter whether he is black, white or even purple I just hope that the system wouldn't fail that child as you obviously are wishing for in this case. My heart lays with the child who had to endure this pain and I will never feel any remorse for the criminal who committed this monstrous crime!
Posted by: Despicable! on 2/1/2012
unbelievable
I can't understand after all of these charges, his girlfriend is still behind him. How can she choose to not stand behind her child. That alone makes me sick to my stomache.
Posted by: sick to my stomache!!! on 2/1/2012
what comes around goes around!!!!
I am sorry but you do not touch a child any way and think you are going to get a slap on the hand!!!!!! GOD HELP YOU WHEN YOU GO TO PRISON THOSE MEN ARE GOING TO TORTURE YOU FOREVER
Posted by: momma of 3 on 2/1/2012
Banwell
Your child Stacy! It was your child!!!
Posted by: disgusted on 2/1/2012
No excuse
There is no excuse for child abuse. Just the things that this man has admitted to doing is horrible! Who knows if it is the whole truth. Only the people there and God himself knows the whole story. I'm glad to see that these people who are taking the innocence of a child,whether it be through physical and/or sexual abuse, is getting what they deserve. This man stated that he had been in trouble numerous times but yet has always had a job. This tells me that he knows what responsibility is but yet he doesn't care about the law. He is where he belongs. I sure know that I'm glad that he is not around my child.
Posted by: Tell it like it is on 1/31/2012
Witch Hunt
This was like taking a giant step back into the 1950's. What if I told you, Lorenzo West is about 6'8 and black/mexican and the alledged vicitm is white. Just saying...
Posted by: Aniv Zurc on 1/31/2012
Strength to go on
I sat in that court room yesterday, proud of Lorenzo, as I am his girlfriend. As I sat in that court room and heard so many beautiful things being said, I reminded myself that this is not over, and Lorenzo will keep fighting the good fight and his strength will give us the strength to keep going. Many things can be said about Lorenzo, but he is an amazing young man, and he will come out of this with his head held high, with his family by his side.
Posted by: Stacy Banwell on 1/31/2012