BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Alabama Supreme Court today denied former Birmingham police officer Curtis Thornton's request to review and overturn his arson conviction and 100-year sentence for a series of 2012 fires in Ensley and Warrior.
The Supreme Court, without issuing an opinion, denied Thornton's request for a writ of certiorari.
Thornton had filed the request after the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on April 25 issued an opinion affirming the conviction and the six sentences, to be served consecutively and totaling 100 years, imposed by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Clyde Jones.
"Our review of the record indicates that Thornton's sentences were within the statutory range; therefore the circuit court did not abuse its discretion," the court of criminal appeals ruled.
Efforts to reach an attorney handling Thornton's appeal were unsuccessful Friday.
Thornton was found guilty of four counts of second degree arson and one count each of attempted second-degree arson and first-degree criminal mischief in four fires in Warrior and two fires in western Birmingham during April and May 2012.
Earlier this year Judge Jones dismissed, at prosecutors' request, seven counts of possession of obscene material containing images of children under the age of 17 against Thornton.
Arnold received a 10-year split sentence, with six months to serve in jail. He began serving the sentence in March. Weaver received a 20-year split sentence with three years to serve, but Jones suspended the sentence and placed Weaver on five-years of probation as part of a plea deal.