Man acquitted in shooting is 'happy to be free'

This is the reason we need to get the castle doctrine/stand your ground law passed. There was absolutely no reason for this man to even be arrested, let alone spend all that time in jail. I listened to the 911 recording and came to the conclusion that he was right to defend himself against 2 younger assailants.

The first thing Jay Rodney Lewis did after being acquitted this month was “go to Fuddruckers and get me a burger. Because that jail food was horrible.”

While he ate, the 49-year-old Lewis nervously watched out the window for police. “I was so scared that somebody was going to come in and say, ‘OK, that’s it. You’re coming with us,’ ” he said.

One couldn’t blame him. Lewis had just finished 112 days in jail because he didn’t have the cash to make bail. When jurors finally freed him on Feb. 9, Lewis walked out homeless, unemployed and minus most of his possessions.

All he has left is his car, everything else is gone, taken from the curb by scavengers and the trash people. The jury only took a few minutes to reach a decision. A decision that should never have been necessary.

“I just don’t think the state did its job to prove he was guilty,” juror Mary Kinney said. “I think the man felt he was in danger.”

Why does our county persecutor (spelling is correct) think it should be up to someone to prove they are innocent? Does he not believe that you are innocent until proven guilty? He went to the State House to argue against the stand your ground law, citing it would benefit criminals. I guess he hasn't read the bill. It states specifically that if you are committing a criminal act you are not covered. The truth is, like any other liberal pisswit idiot, he has a fear of armed honest citizens. I would like to know what he's afraid of. Is he afraid we might find out there is a reason he should be removed from office? Fortunately for him stupidity isn't a crime. Even though it's not a good thing in a elected official. Even though we seem to have a lot of that.

The evicting deputy seized four handguns, three rifles, a shotgun and a machete that had been left in the apartment. So where are his guns? how long will it take him to get them back? He should be pushing the issue and demanding their return, after all, a jury of his peers found him not guilty.

Then there is the apartment complex where he lived.

One week after the shooting, a lawyer for Regency Woods typed up a notice that eventually was posted on the door of Lewis’ apartment. It described Lewis as a “clear and present danger to the health or safety of the other tenants.” As evidence, it cited Lewis’ involvement in “an assault with a weapon within 1,000 feet of the property described above” and the fact that he’d been arrested because of it.

What a bunch of hoplophobic bullshit. The only danger he turned out to be was to the miscreant that was going to harm him. They defamed his character without knowing the facts. They evicted him while he was locked up and unable to respond or collect his belongings. I'm not a lawyer, but I would think he has a good case for a lawsuit. His relatives are all in Kansas, just who was supposed to pick his things up. Plus there is the fact that he didn't even know it was happening until it was too late.