Gerald Norris told Judge Brian Telander he’s a changed man.
And, the 21-year-old said, if Telander showed mercy in sentencing him for his third felony as an adult, he would never again do anything that would land him back in jail.
But after reviewing the Aurora man’s extensive criminal history and a two-minute video of his armed robbery of a Naperville convenience store last December, Telander wasn’t so sure and sentenced Norris to 13 years in prison. The sentence was two years less than prosecutors sought and seven more than the minimum.
Norris was found guilty of aggravated robbery last month during a bench trial.
“You seem to be very sorry,” Telander told a sobbing Norris Wednesday. “But a picture is worth a thousand words, and seeing that video again puts everything back into perspective about what happened that night, and it’s terrifying.”
Read more about the trial at the Daily Herald.