Overview
- Christopher Thompson, 24, was convicted in December of kidnapping, sodomy, robbery and sexual abuse stemming from a July 2023 attack in Louisville.
- Judge Tracy Davis imposed a 30-year prison term rather than the jury’s 65-year recommendation, saying Thompson had “fallen through the cracks” and was not beyond rehabilitation.
- Thompson received more than four additional years for multiple contempt convictions after profane, threatening outbursts in court, which he must serve before the 30-year sentence.
- Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina Whethers, Louisville Metro Council members and Mayor Craig Greenberg expressed disappointment with the reduced term and emphasized respect for the jury process.
- Council members signaled plans to seek more transparency around Judge Davis’s sentencing practices, while national conservative outlets portrayed the ruling as evidence of a broader soft-on-crime trend.