Braxton Sawyer
Robbinsville – Braxton Sawyer is a habitual offender whose latest charges were both felonies — possession of a firearm by a felon and fleeing/eluding arrest.
He faced years of hard time.
The 31-year-old Graham County resident pleaded guilty to both charges in Superior Court in Robbinsville on Feb. 23, but besides his own lawyer, had an unlikely list of people pleading for leniency from the judge including his family, substance abuse counselor, his boss, his church community, even his probation officer, and – even less likely – the assistant district attorney whose job is to put him behind bars.
Judge William Coward suspended the sentence subject to 24 months of supervised probation. Sawyer must also pay court costs and attorney fees.
“It looks like you have a community that believes in you,” Judge Coward said. “I commend you. Please don’t blow this opportunity.”
Sawyer was contrite and kept his head bowed while responding.
“I won’t, your honor,” Sawyer replied.
Sawyer faced more than seven years in prison on these latest charges, all suspended by Judge Coward, with other charges dismissed in a plea agreement.
Deputy District Attorney James Moore said Sawyer was involved in a fight with his mother and stepfather in November 2019 when he pulled a rifle out of his car despite being a convicted felon, which forbids him from possessing a firearm. In another case, he led law enforcement on a 100-mph chase along Tallulah Road – on a revoked driver license.
But his list of prior offenses is long and dates back to 2011, including possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, larceny, possession of stolen property, writing worthless checks, resisting arrest, and obtaining property through false pretenses. His misdeeds took place in his home county of Graham, plus Cherokee, Jackson and Haywood counties.
The outlook wasn’t good.
But something changed and over the past year, he has been in a relationship, worked steadily at a full-time job as a painter – with glowing reports from his boss – attended church regularly, attended substance abuse counseling, bought a car, bought a house and had a baby daughter, who is now 4 months old.
His lawyer, Waynesville-based attorney Andrew Kite, described the turnaround as “truly incredible.”
In 2019 and 2020, Sawyer was undergoing “unchecked and untreated drug addiction,” Kite said in court.
After being put on supervised probation, he put his life together.
“He’s doing everything he possibly can,” Kite said. “He’s working full-time to be the father he needs to be, the citizen he needs to be.”
It is not unusual for a defense attorney to paint a client in the best possible light. Here’s where it gets really interesting.
Probation Officer John Shuler also stepped up in court urging leniency.
“I’ve known Sawyer for 25 years and had some dealings with him that have not worked out so good,” Shuler said.
Shuler said he could “count on one hand the cases that really surprise me,” and Sawyer is one of them.
“If you told me in spring 2021 that he would make probation, I would just laugh at you. I’ve seen a big difference in him. I don’t know what it is, but it’s a big difference.”
Shuler pointed out that Sawyer’s boss waited in court all day (from 10 a.m. to just before 6 p.m.) to vouch for Sawyer.
Kite asked Judge Coward to “give him an opportunity to continue on the path he’s been on.”
Then Moore, the prosecutor, stood.
“I’m surprised to be standing up,” he told the judge. “I’ve know him a long time now. I’ve seen him in every county in the district.”
Moore acknowledged the changes and agreed to a suspended sentence and probation, but added, “If I ever seen him in here again, it will be bad for him.”