25 years for attempted murder? Some actual murderers don't even get that long.
Actual murders are always 25 to life unless there is a deal made. Hell, one of my workers in the high profile unit (aka murder's and gang leaders) just got sentenced to natural life. Meaning no parole or good behavior. He cannot leave jail until he dies.
Poor bastard didn't take the deal which was 20 years because he was convinced he'd get crime of passion and get it bumped down to a manslaughter charge for 10 years. Having already served 3 in the jail. He also spent weeks ranting to me about how he doesn't understand why he can't write his kids. He said he knows his inlaws have temporary custody but when he gets out he'll be their guardian again.
Hope is an amazing thing. This was a smart, well educated man. He found out his wife was cheating on him, sent a text to her boyfriend saying you have 10 minutes to get to our house and get her out or I'm going to kill her. Sent his kids to sit on the front lawn, called his mother to pick them up said don't come in the house. Killed her (after the 10 minutes) and sent her boyfriend and family pictures of her body. But didn't see how that could be considered premeditated.
I'm rambling.
Doesn't sound very smart and educated to me.
You can be smart and educated and still do dumb things, sounds like the dude was over-confidant as heck about his case.
I agree with this. Not to mention, I believe he said was. Like as in past tense. But either way, you can do dumb things when smart. And he did seem pretty over-confident...
He also has antisocial personality disorder and has trouble rationalizing how a jury of 12 people couldn't understand his logic. He was so focused on himself, even when discussing his children it was about how they're his and he has custody. Never a mention of their needs or feelings on the subject of him brutally murdering their mother. A lack of perspective and empathy doesn't make someone less intelligent and he has formal higher education. He is mentally atypical and he was arrogant and that lead him to being hopeful that he'd get out so much so that he couldn't take into account a normal, rational person's feelings.
What I said still stands. Any kind of planning throws that kind of "logic" right out the window, especially legally. ---