Kendrick Johnson’s parents guilty in civil disobedience trial [View all]

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The parents of a Valdosta teen whose body was found two years ago inside a rolled-up gym mat were found guilty Wednesday of blocking courthouse access during a protest related to questions over their son’s death.

Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson, along with five other family members, received a one-year suspended sentence, avoiding jail time and fines. In a statement, Jacquelyn Johnson said she and her husband “would go to jail for our child. We’ll even die for our child.”

“Wouldn’t any parent do the same?” she said.

The family’s protest, held in April 2013 outside the Lowndes County Courthouse, was designed to pressure the local sheriff’s office to release the investigative file of their 17-year-old son’s death, ruled an accident by local and state law enforcement. The Johnsons’ attorney, Chevene King, noted that Kendrick’s file was released the following week.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/kendrick-johnsons-parents-guilty-in-civil-disobedi/njym2/