Attorney: Compassion reason convicted man is on the run

Defense attorney and former Municipal Judge Jackie Patterson said DeKalb County Superior Court Judge JP Boulee made a critical mistake that left a convicted felon on the run, but he believes Judge Boulee had good intentions.
“Sometimes when you show compassion, you make inaccurate or wrong decisions based on the law,” Patterson said. “Knowing Judge Boulee, he’s very compassionate and he was probably trying to give him time with his family since he knew the young man was going to spend 15 straight years in prison.”
WATCH: Attorney says it was compassion
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On March 20, Judge Boulee sentenced Yosif Elhmadi to 20 years in prison with 15 to serve for armed robbery and aggravated assault. He gave the 17-year-old convict a week to report to the DeKalb County Jail, but Elhmadi was a no-show Monday morning. According to sources, he cut off his ankle monitor Saturday. DeKalb County’s Fugitive Squad has been looking for the convicted felon ever since. Patterson said Judge Boulee should have sent Elhmadi to jail the same day he sentenced him and pointed to state law as proof.
“The law says if you're convicted of armed robbery, you cannot be given a release date or a turn in date, you must be taken into custody right away. Under the Georgia State Statute, he had no legal authority to release that person to go home,” Patterson said.
Judge Boulee’s secretary told Bruner the Judge cannot comment on the case. According to his LinkedIn Page, he was appointed to the bench by Governor Nathan Deal after practicing civil law for several years. He was unopposed in his 2016 election.
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