Garrett Birmingham v. State of Mississippi

BARNES, J.,

for the Court:

¶ 1. In 1997, fourteen-year-old Garrett Birmingham was charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling. As part of a plea negotiation, Birmingham pleaded guilty on February 28, 1998, to a conspiracy charge. The State noted at the plea hearing that Birmingham had been certified by the youth court to the Lee County Circuit Court because the charge had originally involved a firearm. Defense counsel also reassured the court that Birmingham’s mother assisted in the plea negotiation and in explaining things to her son. Because of his age, the circuit court sentenced…