An Atlantic City man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after a jury convicted him of weapon possession, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner announced Thursday.
Terri Bailey, 46, was sentenced last Friday to an extended term due to his criminal history and under the discretion of Superior Court Judge Donna Taylor.
Bailey was convicted of a first-degree prior No Early Release Act offense, but he has no such prior conviction, attorney Matt Leonard told BreakingAC.
Instead, he said a plea Bailey took when he was 16 that gave him one year in prison, before there was a No Early Release Act, Leonard explained.
"He was convicted solely of possessing a firearm for self-defense, not using a firearm," Leonard sad. "The right to bear arms went from a constitutional right to an offense essentially punishable by death for Mr. Bailey, based off a decision he made as a juvenile over 30 years ago."
Leonard said he is confident of an appeal.
Under the sentence, Bailey must serve at least 12½ years before he is eligible for parole.
Bailey ran from police responding to a ShotSpotter alert in the 600 block of North Martin Luther King Boulevard in Atlantic City on March 29, 2018.
Bailey discarded a handgun and ran into the Schoolhouse Apartments. He was arrested a week later.
