Montross, VIRGINIA

Plea agreement calls for to 41 years in prison - with all but 18 months suspended.
What kind of lowercase judge would accept that sentence?

June 5, 2008 -
Melvin Antonio Smith III, 21, a coach at Washington and Lee High School has pleaded guilty to four felony counts of soliciting sexually explicit material from members of a girls’ softball team last year. He also pleaded to attempting to have sex with a child 15 years or older.

In return for the guilty pleas, Westmoreland Commonwealth’s Attorney Dean J.Atkins agreed not to prosecute seven other felony charges and one other misdemeanor count against Smith. The plea agreement calls for to 41 years in prison with all but 18 months suspended. And Smith will have to register as a violent sex offender.

On July 14, Smith is scheduled to be tried in Richmond County Circuit Court on four felony charges of carnal knowledge of one of the players on the team, animate object penetration and taking indecent liberties.

Smith served for about a month last year as a volunteer softball coach at the school in Montross. Smith will be sentenced July 16.