DEKALB COUNTY, Ga.,None — A man convicted of forcing women to work as prostitutes, and killing one of those women claimed in court on Friday that he didn’t receive a fair trial moments after emotional testimony by the victim’s family.
Derrick Holmes was sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Cynthia.
Prosecutors said Holmes ran a criminal enterprise where he forced women into prostitution in several states. They say he shot Nakisha Rawls 11 times, killing her after she tried to leave the business. Rawls' mother took the stand and tearfully urged the judge to keep Holmes behind bars a long time.
"Your honor, I wish that you would please give him the max. He needs the max. He needs to never to get out again," Rosalyn Lumpkin testified.
Another woman who sold sex for Holmes also said he was a menace to society.
"He took a life with Nakisha but he also destroyed so many others because we were not allowed to be away from him,” Dorothy Hochecker said.
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Holmes said the testimony was not true. "And these folks lying on me ... the witnesses coming in here."
Holmes told Becker that as a judge she's supposed to uphold the law, reported Channel 2’s Tom Jones who was in the courtroom.
"Your word is unclean. Yeah. It was very unclean," he told the judge. Holmes also addressed the representation of his defense attorney.
"I feel like my defense attorney did not defend me at all," he said. Holmes also accused the District Attorney's Office of coaching witnesses and of prosecutorial misconduct.
"I feel like the jury was coerced by improper statements by the DA," Holmes said. Judge Becker told Holmes that's why he's entitled to an appeal.
District Attorney Robert James says Holmes received a fair trial.
"The verdict speaks for itself so I don't really have to say anything. The jury found him guilty," James said.
Rawls' mother told Holmes he can't go around treating women like animals.
"You're supposed to treat women like queens," Lumpkin said through tears.
Judge Becker told Holmes she watched him during trial and he never showed any remorse. She told him if she could have given him more time she would.