VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) - The parents and other relatives of a south Georgia teenager found dead in a rolled up gym mat have been sentenced to probation for blocking access to the Lowndes County courthouse during a 2013 protest.
It's been two years since 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found dead at his high school. Authorities ruled his death a freak accident, while the family insists someone killed him.
The teenager's parents, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson, and five other relatives were convicted Wednesday of interfering with government property, a misdemeanor. A judge spared them from prison by giving each defendant a 12-month suspended sentence.
Authorities say Johnson's relatives linked arms to block the courthouse entrance during a protest in April 2013. The parents' attorney says they were trying to draw attention to their son's death.
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