Palmer man gets 30 years in attempted murder case

PALMER — A Palmer man will serve a total of 30 years in prison for attacking and seriously injuring his then-girlfriend at a Houston party in 2013, a prosecutor in the case said this week.

Jamie R. Smith, 20, received 45 years with 15 suspended Monday from Superior Court Judge Gregory Heath on attempted murder and first-degree assault charges, according to Lindsey Burton, a prosecutor in the Palmer District Attorney’s Office.

The sentence closes a case that has spanned three years and two jury trials.

According to court documents, Smith was 17 when he attacked and beat his girlfriend at the time, Savannah Simpson, in the woods during a bonfire party at a popular spot called “Green Gate” in Houston in May 2013. He was convicted in February of this year on attempted murder and assault charges. Jurors in that trial deliberated for about three days before rendering a guilty verdict.

Smith faced a sentencing range of between seven and 11 years for the assault charge and between five and 99 years for the attempted murder charge.

A trial in June 2015 ended with a hung jury after about a week of deliberations. Smith has been in jail since 2013.

“I think justice was served,” said Burton, who served as a prosecutor in both trials. “I am not happy to see a young man facing this, but I do think (the sentence) was appropriate.”