DATE:  November 15, 2019

CASE:  Gerald Franklin Jr. (Case #18FE014798)

PROSECUTOR:  Deputy District Attorney Scott Schweibish, Career Criminal Prosecution Unit

The Honorable Geoffrey Goodman sentenced Gerald Franklin Jr. to 16 years in prison.  On October 4, 2019, a jury convicted Franklin of assault with personal use of firearm, mayhem with personal use of firearm, and being a felon in possession of firearm.

Gerald Franklin Jr. and his wife got into a verbal altercation with their apartment manager and the victim, who was the maintenance man.  Words were exchanged, but no violence ensued.  The next day on August 1, 2018, the victim was painting the apartment directly above Franklin.  Franklin’s wife went upstairs and engaged in a verbal dispute with the victim, who ultimately pushed her out of the apartment.  Franklin’s wife left the apartment screaming that the victim hit her.  Franklin went upstairs with a shotgun and kicked the door.  When the victim opened the door, Franklin raised the gun and pointed it at victim’s chest.  A struggle ensued over the shotgun.  During the struggle, the shotgun fired and hit the victim’s hand.  The victim went through several surgeries, but still suffers from permanent damage to several of his fingers.

Franklin’s past criminal history includes convictions for assault and battery, domestic violence, vehicle theft, resisting and lying to officers, and possession of stolen property.