Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Andre Lawson Seeks Second Chance Under Juvenile Restoration Act

Twenty-three years after his involvement in a fatal robbery at a Burger King in Hunt Valley, Andre Lawson, now 40 years old, is appealing to a Baltimore County judge for a second chance under the Juvenile Restoration Act. Lawson and his friends brutally attacked and killed 21-year-old manager James Stambaugh Jr. just two days before Christmas Day, when Lawson was only 17 years old.

During a lengthy 4-hour hearing on Monday, Lawson addressed Circuit Court Judge Garret P. Glennon Jr., expressing remorse for his actions and insisting that he has changed since the time of the crime. “It was a horrible mistake,” Lawson said. “I’m not the same person I was 23 years ago. I believe I can show in my actions and deeds that I’m not the same person.”

In the robbery and killing, Lawson was one of four teenagers convicted. Prosecutors revealed that he had bound Stambaugh’s hands and face with duct tape, stabbed him in the shoulder, and beat him with heavy metal objects.

Courtney Bryant, who was 18 at the time and considered the ringleader of the group, initially received a death sentence, which was later reduced to life without parole.

Lawson’s defense team has previously argued for a shorter sentence. In 2016, following U.S. Supreme Court decisions deeming mandatory juvenile life without parole sentences as unconstitutional, Lawson’s hearing marked the first in a statewide effort by the Maryland public defender’s office to challenge lengthy sentences given to young offenders.

However, Judge Robert E. Cahill Jr. upheld Lawson’s sentence, stating that the original sentence from Judge Alexander Wright was “fair, just, and constitutional.”

Lawson’s recent hearing was the first time his attorneys argued for his release since the passing of the Juvenile Restoration Act in 2021. This act allows individuals who have been imprisoned for at least 20 years for crimes committed as minors to file a motion to reduce their sentences. Judge Glennon will issue his ruling in a written court order, as required by the statute.

Despite Lawson’s plea for reconsideration, Baltimore County prosecutors opposed the reduction of his sentence. They criticized the reentry plan proposed by Lawson’s defense team and disputed reports from defense experts that suggested Lawson was unlikely to engage in future violence.

Assistant State’s Attorney Adam Lippe emphasized the severity of the crime, labeling it “a torture murder” and describing the facts of the case as horrific.

Megan Andre Lawson, a licensed social worker who conducted multiple interviews with Lawson, testified that his life took a turn when he was 12 years old. At that time, his father, a mechanic and “high-functioning heroin addict,” passed away from a terminal illness. Leschak, the social worker, stated that Lawson’s mother was left to manage the family’s gas station alone, and Lawson, feeling inconsolable, often found himself unsupervised.

A forensic psychologist named Michael Guilbault, who performed a risk assessment of Lawson, revealed that Lawson had used and sold drugs during his teenage years while spending time with men who served as mentors for him. Guilbault also mentioned that Lawson had only completed the 8th grade and had missed significant schooling due to hospital visits for his chronic asthma.

In 2019, Lawson married Romaine Lawson, a family friend turned prison penpal. They had attended elementary school together and reconnected through letter correspondence after Lawson’s arrest in 2001. Andre Lawson expressed his desire to start a family with his wife and eventually establish his own business.

Judith Jones, a panel attorney for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, argued that Lawson had made positive strides during his incarceration. Jones highlighted his involvement in work programs and educational initiatives, including an 18-month religious distance learning course to deepen his Christian faith. According to Jones, Lawson’s prison records, which indicated assaults and rule violations, were consistent with other juvenile lifers who often struggle during their initial years of incarceration before maturing in their 30s and 40s.

Prosecutors, on the other hand, pointed out more recent infractions committed by Lawson. He acknowledged these infractions during the hearing, which included creating fake program certificates and being accused of assaulting an inmate in 2017. However, Lawson claimed to have learned important lessons from these incidents, stating that he has since developed skills to de-escalate conflicts and communicate more effectively.

During the hearing, psychologist Guilbault was questioned about his change in risk assessment, which now suggests Lawson has a low risk of committing violence against others. Guilbault attributed this change, in part, to an improved reentry plan in collaboration with the Baltimore-based TIME Organization, an outpatient mental health treatment provider.

Shareece Kess, the TIME Organization’s chief of staff, confirmed that Lawson has been accepted into their reentry program. This program has successfully supported 19 individuals released under the Juvenile Restoration Act, providing temporary housing and assistance. Kess stated that none of their clients have been re-arrested for crimes since their release, although a few have failed drug tests.

Notably, none of Stambaugh’s family members were present at Monday’s hearing. Lippe mentioned that James Stambaugh Sr., the victim’s father, had relocated out of Maryland and did not respond to phone calls.

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