Inset: Jarrel Smith (Iberville Parish Jail). Background: The 18th Judicial District Court in New Roads, La. (Google Maps).
A Louisiana man will spend decades behind bars after jurors deliberated for a literal matter of minutes to seal his fate.
In April, Jarrel Smith, 33, was found guilty by an Iberville Parish jury of his peers on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This week, the defendant was sentenced to spend 20 years in state prison by 18th Judicial District Judge Elizabeth Engolio.
But it's not the length of time behind bars that has people paying attention. Rather, it's how quickly the jurors returned their verdict.
On April 8, the jury found Smith guilty in four minutes and 44 seconds, according to a courtroom report by the Plaquemine Post South.
Eighteenth Judicial District Attorney Tony Clayton told the paper it was one of the swiftest verdicts in memory.
"I have repeatedly said we will prosecute violent offenders," Clayton said. "In this case, a convicted felon had a firearm in his possession and had a known criminal history. Getting a verdict in less than five minutes should send a message — we are working to get the guns off the streets, and we will take these cases to trial, if necessary."
The defendant was arrested on Sept. 8, 2024, just after leaving his car, according to Baton Rouge-based ABC affiliate WBRZ.
At the time, deputies were patrolling an apartment complex and noticed that Smith strongly smelled of marijuana smoke.
The man's subsequent detention led to his arrest after law enforcement found a gun on him – verboten conduct since Smith was previously convicted of simple burglary in 2019.
While the case took awhile to make its way through the legal system, the jury put a swift kibosh on proceedings early last month.
"I want to thank the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office, St Gabriel Police Department, and the Louisiana Probation and Parole for providing us with a very solid case," Clayton added, "and I thank the jury for its time."
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nedi Morgan.
"The jury got it and got it right," she said. "There was no question with the evidence in this case that Jarrel Smith was guilty as charged."