COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A judge in central Colorado is considering reducing a former soldier's sentence for drunkenly shooting his friend based on whether he is receiving adequate mental health care in prison.
The Gazette of Colorado Springs reports that 4th Judicial District Judge Lin Billings-Vela said on Thursday that reports that former Staff Sgt. Cory Griffin's mental health is deteriorating while he serves his eight-year sentence may rise to the level of an extraordinary circumstance that merits a sentence reduction.
Griffin has been at the Bent County Detention Facility since he was sentenced for the 2014 shooting of his friend's hand.
During his incarceration, Griffin has completed 60 hours of addiction therapy, 36 hours of victim impact classes and a course on anxiety. He has been unable to get treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder because there is a wait list at the prison.
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Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com
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