On March 20, 2012, Judge Kathleen Hamilton, Judge in the 359th District Court, sentenced Josh Alfred Lawson to Life in prison. On January 11, 2012, a jury, after deliberating for less than an hour, found Lawson guilty of Burglary of a Habitation. Exactly two years prior, on January 11, 2010, Lawson broke into a home in Montgomery, Texas, stealing a large safe full of guns, jewelry and coins. Through the investigation by Detectives Keith Winford and Mike Price of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department it was discovered that some of the property from the safe was sold to Royal Coin and Jewelry in Houston, Texas by Lawson on January 12, 2010. It was also discovered that Lawson had previously been to the home years prior to the burglary with realtors when the home was for sale under the disguise of being a potential buyer. At that time Lawson was shown the home in its entirety including the closet containing the safe.
During the sentencing phase of the trial, Assistant District Attorneys Darla Faulkner and Mary Nan Huffman presented evidence to the Court that, prior to this crime, Lawson had been charged with 22 offenses and convicted of Burglary of a Habitation, Theft, Credit Card Abuse, Evading Arrest, and Criminal Trespass. Many witnesses testified as to Lawson’s character and prior criminal history. As Judge Hamilton handed down the sentence she told Lawson he had been given many chances to change his life and they were never enough. This will be Lawson’s second trip to prison.
“Life in prison is certainly an appropriate sentence for someone that has victimized as many people as Mr. Lawson has,” stated District Attorney Brett Ligon. “We will be filing a protest to any parole for Mr. Lawson on the behalf of every citizen of Montgomery County he stole, conned, evaded or burgled from. He earned every day of his life sentence.”
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