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A jury of six men
and six women last month convicted Justin Ross Harris, 35, on
all eight counts against him in the June 2014 death of his
22-month-old son, Cooper.
Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark could
sentence the former Home Depot Inc web developer to a maximum of
life in prison without parole, plus 42 years.
Jurors found Harris guilty of felony murder, and first- and
second-degree cruelty to a child for leaving the boy in the hot
car. He was also convicted of criminal attempt to commit sexual
exploitation of a child because of explicit texts he sent to a
teenage girl.
His lawyers will likely call for mercy, saying the death was a
horrible accident made by a flawed but God-fearing man who loved
his only child.
Harris simply forgot to take his son to his daycare center after
a father-and-son breakfast, and he did not see the boy strapped
in the child seat right behind the driver’s seat after arriving
at Home Depot's headquarters in Marietta, his lawyers said at
trial.
After the conviction, prosecutors said justice was served for a
child who was left to die so Harris could have a child-free
lifestyle and pursue other women, including teenagers and
prostitutes.
Phone and internet records show that Harris was texting with
other women even as his son was left for seven hours outside his
workplace.
In testimony at the trial, police testified that he showed
little emotion over the child's death, except in what seemed to
be staged outbursts. It was also revealed that he visited his
vehicle once during a lunch break to drop off light bulbs, but
he claimed he did not notice Cooper.
Harris, who did not take the stand, is allowed to speak on his
own behalf to the judge at the sentencing hearing.
His attorneys will likely present character witnesses to the
court, but it was unclear if his former wife, Leanna Taylor,
will testify. During the trial, she said Harris “ruined her
life” but she believes he loved their child and he did not
intentionally harm him.
The sentencing will take place in Marietta. The trial was moved
300 miles from the Atlanta suburb because the judge ruled that
an impartial jury could not be found there.
Harris’ attorneys say they will appeal the conviction, but the
grounds for an appeal were not immediately stated.
(Editing by Frank McGurty and Matthew Lewis)
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