Defendant’s Gross Behavior Toward Female Officers Stuns Judge — Hammer Time Cut

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]It starts as a routine sentencing hearing, but don't blink. What follows turned the standard plea deal into a courtroom implosion, all triggered by one dangerous contradiction that unravels everything in real time and changes the entire direction of the case. Felon, the agreement was for a cap of 6 years in prison. I've received the pre-sentence report. Has everyone had an opportunity to review that report?

[00:00:23]>> Yes, your honor. Yes, sir. Are there any additions or corrections?

[00:00:27]Uh just argument from the defense.

[00:00:29]>> Not at this time. Um in addition, I have received the jail incident reports which have been turned over to counsel. Have you both had an opportunity to review those?

[00:00:38]>> I have.

[00:00:39]Um also, I have received this morning and now reviewed it. Looks like four um letters of support that Ms. Holmes brought today. Uh Mr. Smith, have you had an opportunity to review those as well?

[00:00:50]All right, then Ms. Holmes, you may proceed. Thank you, your honor. Um and looking at the PSI report, um Mr. Lewis um does have obviously previous criminal history spanning from juvenile and um to adulthood. Um the prior that he has, it appears was burglary >> The legal strategy is simple. Accept responsibility, show remorse, rely on family support, and request probation.

[00:01:16]It's a classic mitigation approach, but there's a problem because mitigation only works when a defendant fully owns what happened and takes clear accountability for crime.

[00:01:25]>> crime. Clear of habitation.

[00:01:27]Um it looks like three cases, but they weren't They ran concurrently in which he uh was placed on probation and had a revocation in which he was sentenced to uh 8 years in TDC.

[00:01:38]Um he has since been uh discharged from that, your honor.

[00:01:42]Um and um after being released, there was this traffic stop which resulted in a um firearm being found in the vehicle in which [snorts] Mr. Lewis was driving.

[00:01:54]Um obviously, in reading his uh response to the PSI officer.

[00:02:01]I would allow him to elaborate more on that. Obviously, he did plead guilty to the offense, taking responsibility, and we are seeking probation in this case, your honor.

[00:02:15]We believe that at this point in Mr. Lewis's life, he understands obviously being incarcerated before that it's not somewhere that he wants to go back and spend potentially six additional years of his life. He would like this opportunity on probation to have that opportunity to spend and get back on track with employment to take care of his family and provide for his family.

[00:02:42]In reading those support letters, your honor, he does have support here from family and friends in the community that are willing to step up and help him to make sure that he is a productive citizen and he gets back on track. He understands [clears throat] that there's just certain things with being a convicted felon that he cannot do. And I think at this point he understands that, your honor, and we are asking that the court give him the opportunity to be placed on probation and to finish his term while on probation.

[00:03:11]Well, I guess before we go any further, I want to make sure I understand because Mr. um Lewis, your version of this is that it wasn't your gun, it was in your girlfriend's purse, and you didn't even know her purse was in the car, much less the gun was in the purse in the car. So, either you are guilty or you're not guilty of the offense. And so, if you knew about it, then you're guilty. If you didn't, then a jury needs to decide. I plead guilty because I was driving the car.

[00:03:48]This This is the moment everything goes sideways. In criminal law, you can't plead guilty while claiming innocence.

[00:03:55]That isn't accountability. It's confusion. And judges do not tolerate confusion >> [music] >> when someone's liberty is at stake and the consequences are about to be decided.

[00:04:05]>> And by me driving and I finally they got they they But the law But the law that's not what the law is. There's my life >> Okay. So, you don't get to just take a deal or plead guilty because that's what you want to do.

[00:04:21]When you were here before, you stood in front of that clerk, you put your hand up, swore that you would tell the truth, and I said, "Are you pleading guilty freely and voluntarily? Are you pleading guilty because you did what they charged you with?"

[00:04:33]>> wasn't. And I still don't Okay.

[00:04:36]All right, Mr. Smith.

[00:04:38]Uh Judge, I think he's been given probation before.

[00:04:45]Uh it was not successful. He's been revoked.

[00:04:49]But actions in the jail clearly show he doesn't have any respect for authority or rules. I don't feel like he's a proper candidate for a probation, so we're asking for a 6-year sentence in TDC.

[00:05:02]So, Mr. Lewis, one thing I noticed in several of these let- >> Now the tone hardens. The prosecution isn't just pushing for punishment anymore. They're attacking character.

[00:05:15]Jail behavior becomes central because judges treat it as a preview of how someone responds to authority when no one is watching or holding them accountable.

[00:05:23]>> watching. Letters that friends and family members said, uh I think three of them actually used the word respectful, that you're a respectful young man.

[00:05:33]Watch the contrast here. On paper, he's described as respectful. In reality, the judge is about to go through incident after incident that tells a completely different story. And in sentencing, credibility is everything because it shapes how the court decides.

[00:05:49]>> What has been going on in our jail is the furthest thing from respectful that I've seen.

[00:05:57]The number of times, and the fact that I have to say this out loud, the number of times that you choose to masturbate in front of the officers on purpose is ridiculous.

[00:06:12]Must be going on there.

[00:06:14]Sure. That case wasn't on me. Somebody else had a case, and the woman even talked to the lieutenant to get it removed up off of my file, but it still shows up. That was That was not on me.

[00:06:25]If somebody >> It's more than one time. But I said So, [clears throat] hold on. So, on April 14th Let's just go through them. On April 14th you were in trouble for not being in your bunk, that you had been given several orders to go to your bunk.

[00:06:46]You proceeded to walk around yelling, "Bitch, stop talking to me." So, that's from April 14th, last week.

[00:06:54]Then, on April 7th, it alleges that you had your hands in your pants moving in and out back and forth, that uh you were told to take your hands out of your pants, and that you had been told before or this officer had been briefed on the fact that you were known for doing this.

[00:07:18]Your response, according to this, is that that person should have asked the officers how big your >> [clears throat] >> penis I'm not Anyway.

[00:07:34]Since they want to be talking about you, they should have told them about that, too.

[00:07:38]Then, on March 25th, before that, a week, um to another officer and these aren't the same officers. It's not the same person saying the same thing about you.

[00:07:49]Somebody has some vendetta against you.

[00:07:52]So, March 25th started to do rounds, noticed that you were watching the person doing rounds, had his hand over his midsection as if he was rubbing on himself.

[00:08:05]March 18th another different officer noticed monitoring the bunk. There you are laying on your back stroking your penis in a back and forth motion, told not to do so.

[00:08:19]January 24th, 2025, you're in trouble for not walking around for walking around This one noticed the way you're laying on your bunk in a way making motions under the blanket uh walked past, turned around to see if he was still doing it, then you supposedly look at this officer and say, "I'm not doing anything." while you lifted the blanket up for that officer to see it.

[00:08:52]Um January 4th another time uh being told to uh be quiet, do what you're supposed to do, didn't do it that day.

[00:09:03]June December 29th, another issue of not following the rules.

[00:09:09]December 17th, another infraction for arguing and not following the rules. So, if there was one time when they got the wrong person, that's one thing. That's over and over again you disrespecting female officers who are in there just doing their job. I'm going to sleep on my bed.

[00:09:27]Sir I'm not You really We're really going to do that?

[00:09:31]You asked me and I'm telling you, John, I'll sleep on my bed. Uh-huh. I have sisters. I have a mama. I don't do that.

[00:09:37]Them people write whatever they >> They're making this up on you. That's terrible of them to do that.

[00:09:43]>> in my cases with pulling them up. I don't have any cases on none of that. I don't have any time. I'm not on no restriction on none of that. Up in the county. You were off parole, the way I do the math, less than a year. So, you did your whole 8 years?

[00:09:56]>> No.

[00:09:59]What'd you do in prison to have to do your whole 8 years? I was in seg.

[00:10:04]For doing what?

[00:10:07]Just tattooing, uh contraband. Not following the rules while you're in prison.

[00:10:13]I'm going to find that you previously entered your plea of guilty freely and voluntarily. Find sufficient evidence to find you guilty and at this time find you guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by felon. Sentence you to a term of 6 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Corrections.

[00:10:28]You will receive credit on that sentence for any time that you've been in custody that the law gives you the right to receive.

[00:10:34]I'm handing you the trial court certification that shows this was an agreement that I followed and so you've waived your right to appeal and you're lucky that this was the agreement. Um Mr. Smith was generous. The fact is this you could have been enhanced to a second degree felony because of your history and you're lucky you weren't. Um I have also handed you a written admonishment regarding your ineligibility to possess a firearm or ammunition. Obviously, you know this, but I'm required to read this to you. Because of the judgment entered against you, you're ineligible under Texas law to possess a firearm or ammunition. Possession of a firearm or ammunition could lead to charges against you. Firearm is a legal term and you should read the written admonishment I provided you to see what devices qualify as a firearm.

[00:11:18]If you have questions about the laws that make you ineligible to possess a firearm or ammunition or about how long it lasts, you can talk to Ms. Holmes.

[00:11:25]You can go with the bailiff.