Man pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2022 Chatham County homicide

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Jeffery Jackson, a convicted felon, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in a 2022 homicide in Chatham County. The plea deal will give him a few months in jail, after credit for time served.

The original malice murder charge was reduced to voluntary manslaughter as part of the plea. The maximum sentence would have been Life plus 15 years.

Sentence and separate case

Jackson, 34, gets credit for time served. He has been in jail since 2022 and will be released in February of 2027, which will add up to him serving 5 years.

In a separate case involving another gun charge, Jackson will receive a sentence of 3 years to serve, suspended. So, he cannot commit any violations, or the 3 years will be imposed. The judge said Jackson will be under close supervision when he is released.

His attorney, Jonah Pine, reminded him in open court that he cannot have a gun whatsoever. He cannot ride in a car or be in a house with anyone with a firearm. Jackson said he understood.

See previous coverage: www.wtoc.com/2022/02/18/savannah-police-make-arrests-connection-two-separate-shootings/

Prosecutors cite evidence questions

Lemuel Rouse, 41, died after a gunfight between him and Jackson following an argument.

Prosecutors said they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt whether Rouse or Jackson fired first. They said the evidence is conflicting.

The judge said that after an evidentiary hearing, the court found the evidence was not sufficient to find that Jackson acted in self-defense. The judge said the court’s order also included a specific finding that there was conflicting evidence about who shot first.

“I think also a jury would struggle to figure out who shot first,” Judge Benjamin Karpf said. “If they can’t figure out who shot first, it’s going to be very hard for the state to carry their burden on murder beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The Shooting happened in the 1700 block of Chester Street. Lemuel Rouse was just 41-years-old when he died.

He left behind 6 kids and a grandchild.

“He was born in Savannah, Georgia. He received his education in the Chatham County schools of Savannah. He graduated from Alfred Ely Beach High School (Class of 1999). He also attended South Carolina State University and later attended Savannah Technical College where he received his CDL license.

Boo Rouse, as he was affectionately known was loved by lots of people. He was also the co-owner of Learning You and Me Childcare. He was the founder of 4 Eva True an up coming brand in our city."

Obituary

Medical evidence

The judge also pointed to questions surrounding the medical evidence. He said it involves a legal issue of proximate cause.

The judge said the attorney on the case has engaged experts on whether the proximate cause of death was the gunshot or something that happened at the hospital. The judge said a jury could decide it cannot attribute the death to the shooting, even if the jury found Jackson shot first.

Rouse also had a pacemaker, which was an issue in the case.

Judge explains plea acceptance

The judge said the evidence amounted to “a street brawl that, for a minute, looked like guns weren’t going to be involved. And then the guns came out.”

“Gun violence is an all too familiar issue that I see in this courtroom,” Judge Karpf said. “And it really is an absolute scourge on Savannah.”

The judge said he received a victim impact statement and was moved by it. He said Rouse’s family is right that gun violence needs to be addressed and taken seriously.

“I think that they are understandably concerned that this type of sentence doesn’t reflect the seriousness with which we take gun violence,” the judge said.

The judge said the state decided the best way to ensure accountability was to offer the plea. He said Jackson has prior felony convictions also. He said a likely possibility at trial was an acquittal with no consequences for Jackson.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that he was shooting when he shouldn’t have been shooting,” the judge said. “And he deserves to be sentenced for that.”

“I hope that he (Jackson) appreciates that and feels the enormity of the fact that while he gets some measure of his life back, there’s someone who will not get his life back,” the judge said.

The judge said he has rejected pleas in other shooting cases that went to trial and ended in acquittals.

“And so, for that reason, I am accepting this,” the judge said. “I’m not necessarily pleased about this. But I don’t think that substituting my judgment or my anger with the fact of continuing senseless gun violence is going to make this any better if I send it to trial as opposed to taking this plea.”

The judge said he approved the plea because he believes it is “the best result that delivers some certainty and some finality and some actual consequences in a case that could result in nothing.”

“My deepest sympathies to the family,” the judge said. “I know this is unsatisfactory. I understand that.”

The judge advised Jackson that he has 30 days to appeal the guilty plea. The judge said a request to withdraw the plea would be a petition and is not guaranteed to be granted.