Herman Lanza, he’s been convicted 12 times dating back to 1985 and served 13 years in jail. But today in the Supreme Court, he pleaded guilty to crime number 13 and risked another stint in jail. Why’d he do it? Well, he says it’s a matter of honesty, but we’ll let him explain that for you shortly.
First, the background. In early 2005 Lanza was released from jail after serving a 13 year sentence for an armed robbery. But in August of that year he was charged for the attempted murder, grievous harm and use of deadly means of harm against Dean Bennett. Bennett claims Lanza stabbed him six times to the chest, abdomen and legs. Lanza got off the charge, but in late 2008, the DPP brought it back before the court. And that’s what Lanza was facing when he went before Justice Michelle Arana today.
He pleaded guilty to grievous harm and instead of jail time, he got a fine of three thousand dollars, plus an order to pay two thousand dollars in compensation to Dean Bennett. Today, he told us why he pleaded guilty and discussed other matters worldly and godly,
Jules Vasquez,
“You plead guilty?”
Herman Lanza, Pled Guilty
“I plead guilty.”
Jules Vasquez,
“You agree that you juk ah up.”
Herman Lanza,
“I agree to it because when you hurt somebody in life you can’t hold a Bible and go to court and just tell lies just like that because what goes around comes around out here so I am somebody who has love in my heart even though I am a criminal and I do things out here to people and I have to forgive because if you can’t forgive people, God won’t forgive you. So I am a person before I tek a Bible and tell lie in the court, I just decide and explain to my lawyer I will plead guilty to grievous harm and whatever is the penalty, I will take the penalty.”
Jules Vasquez,
“Now you got a fine of $3,000 or nine months in prison and you have to pay the accused $2,000. That is $5,000 you have to come up with.”
Herman Lanza,
“Well yes I will get it from support. I will ask all people out here in society, I will ask for people to help me to support me and thing.”
Jules Vasquez,
“Why would anyone help to pay for your crime?”
Herman Lanza,
“Well mek I tell you something like this: I am a man right here with history.”
Jules Vasquez,
“Why is it important that after you took a guilty plea, you feel that you want to address the society?”
Herman Lanza,
“Because they have a lot of criminals out here too and criminals are robbing people right now who don’t deserve to get robbed because to rob a Turks right now, walk in and rob something which isn’t necessary and don’t get anything out of it, it doesn’t mean no sense inna my behalf as a man from the street who used to rob too because I used to rob people too.”
Jules Vasquez,
“I remember in 2005 you gave an interview, you were giving those same advice and then six months later you were right back inna thing.”
Herman Lanza,
“Well the reason why I get back inna, from I came out of jail 2005, I didn’t catch into no problem.”
Jules Vasquez,
“Except that you juk Dean Bennett.”
Herman Lanza,
“But fi a cost. He came to bruk into my old lady’s house and then came and bruk inna my gial house. I could have fight my case and win my case. I could have fight my case and win my case but for me to go into court and grab a Bible and just tell lie and then the system done know I’ve done a long time, I don’t know how the system would class yuh.”
Jules Vasquez,
“So how you feel right now that you have this behind you?”
Herman Lanza,
“Well I feel good but other wise I still have problem in society because I am a gang member. I just want the public get the sense that I am a gang member and I am not into gang bang.”
Jules Vasquez,
“Wait you were a gang member?”
Herman Lanza,
“I dah wah gang member.”
Jules Vasquez,
“You are presently a gang member?”
Herman Lanza,
“Yes this right yah, this dah KR, this dah Kraal Road check but deh bally know I am not into not war. I am not into violence and those things but right now they have people in society who want to kill me.”
Jules Vasquez,
“How will you survive out here now if you are a gang member, you have man who still have beef with you or who still feel that when they see you something will set off, how will you survive out here now without get back right into trouble again?”
Herman Lanza,
“Well I could tell anyone of them in society that if they come to kill me, they have to kill me by the grace of the good Lord in Jesus Christ’s name because I dah wah man who nuh fear no bwoy out here right now. I don’t live in fear. Anytime you want to kill me, I will be by myself on my bike and my ride dah all black right now.
I got love in my heart same way too and I got respect for everybody out here, even the younger “hurry come ups” who are trying to send to kill me. I respect them too but I won’t let them come jump around me simple to try juk out my marrow like that because I know all of them but if they kill me, I give my life to God already and I left it in God’s hand but they have to come and kill me in Jesus Christ name if they want to kill me. I am not running from them and I don’t fear them, their vehicle which they are circling in, the gun they have on them, I am not running.
If Ghost Town wants to kill me, I don’t fear them. I don’t fear none of them and I give them their respect same way too but for reasons, kill me for what. They are a crip, I am a crip. Quash this beef and let this beef done boss man. They just want to bring up old beef you understand. What happened back in the days and back a prison with those old beef, left that back there boss man.”
Lanza learned how to read and also picked up tradesman skills while in Prison.
