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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Former high school football star Brandon Jackson sentenced to prison

By TIARA ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
tellis@dallasnews.com

A second chance for a former high school football standout convicted of armed robbery did not pan out.

MICHAEL MULVEY/DMN
MICHAEL MULVEY/DMN
Former high school football standout Brandon Jackson sits in a Dallas courtroom earlier this month.

Brandon Jackson, 20, received a five-year prison sentence Monday for violating his probation. It was the maximum sentence that state District Judge Lana Myers could offer.

Last year, a jury showed mercy and sentenced Mr. Jackson to probation. Judge Myers set the terms of that probation for 10 years.

Less than one year later, Mr. Jackson was re-arrested and accused of breaking into a Garland convenience store and running from police, both violations of his probation.

At the continuation of Mr. Jackson's revocation hearing today, Mr. Jackson's sisters described him as depressed and struggling to find work.

Defense attorney Scottie Allen asked Judge Myers to give Mr. Jackson another chance.

"His depression is real," Mr. Allen said. "It's that depression that brought him before the court today."

Prosecutor Marcia Taylor said today that she asked for prison time during his trial last year, and was doing the same during this hearing.

"Enough is enough," Ms. Taylor said. "I don't know when the prescription for depression is to commit another felony."

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