Martinsville school shooting: Phelps guilty on attempted murder:

Michael Phelps was convicted of attempted murder yesterday after he admitted on the stand during his bench trial that he not only shot Chance Jackson but that he intended to kill him.

Now, this may sound like a slam dunk but it’s not. As Phelps’ lawyer points out in the article while this sounds like a guilty plea it isn’t. It’s a legal maneuver for Phelps’ lawyer to appeal the fact that the 16-year-old Phelps was charged as an adult. If Phelps had pleaded guilty he would have waived that right to appeal.

So while Phelps is looking at 20 to 50 years behind bars when he’s sentenced in August if Phelps’ appeal is successful he would probably be only looking at 5 years.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old Chance Jackson is looking at a lifetime of medical problems and there is no court that he can appeal to.