Amber Guyger Appeal: Texas Court Refuses Petition to Review Conviction Over Botham Jean Murder Case

Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger's murder conviction and a 10-year prison sentence were upheld by Texas' highest criminal court on Wednesday.

Guyger was a former member of Dallas police force. She fatally shot Botham Jean in his apartment in 2018, according to a WFAA News report.

The Court of Criminal Appeals refused to hear Guyger's petition. She was calling to have a review of the lower court's decision.

Judges Kevin Yeary and Michelle Slaughter wrote dissenting opinions. However, the rest of the court turned down her appeal in a vote.

The decision likely means that Guyger has exhausted all avenues to appeal her conviction and sentence, with the nine-member court being the final appellate jurisdiction in criminal cases.

Guyger will be continuing to serve her 10-year sentence at a prison in Gatesville, Texas, and up for parole in 2024.

Guyger argued during her appeal that her mistaken belief that she was in her own apartment caused her culpability for murder.

Amber Guyger's Case

On Sept. 6, 2018, Jean was sitting at home and eating ice cream in his Lamar Street apartment when the police officer walked into his apartment, thinking it was her own.

Guyger lived on the floor above him, according to a Dallas News report.

She was off duty at the time but was in uniform. The former police officer said she believed Jean was an intruder and shot him.

A few weeks after the killing, Guyger was fired from the Dallas Police Department. She was initially arrested on a manslaughter charge. However, a grand jury later indicted her on a murder charge.

Guyger's appellate lawyer, Michael Mowla, has yet to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Toby Shook, the lawyer representing Guyger during her murder trial, has declined to comment.

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot has yet to comment on the matter.

Creuzot's office released a statement in response to the original appeal, saying that what Guyger did was murder regardless of where you think you are when you did it.

Botham Jean Murder

Guyger is White while Jean is a native of the island nation of St. Lucia. Jean moved to Dallas for a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers and was Black, according to an NBC News report.

Jean's death triggered protests, leading to Guyger's removal from the force, and renewed discussions about police use of force and racial bias.

Guyger's mother, Karen Guyger, 66, testified during the sentencing hearing. She noted that her then-boyfriend had molested Amber when she was six years old.

Karen said that her daughter was distraught after killing Jean, saying that Amber "feels very sorry about it."

Jean's mother, Allison Jean, had also testified at the time, saying that she cannot sleep nor eat.

Allison said that it was "the most terrible time for me."

Amber Guyger did not testify during her sentencing. However, she has the opportunity to appeal the conviction.

The jury at the time was allowed to consider whether Jean's death was the result of "sudden passion," which meant that Amber Guyger acted in the heat of the moment.

Amber Guyger was a five-year police veteran.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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