“I did not ask for relative leniency nor a lighter sentence (for Michael Gardner–ed.). I don’t think Phil Duncan did either, Others did do that, I only shared my personal experiences and professional experiences with Gardner because he ran a business here so that’s the only reason why I used my title. That was a mistake as well. I respected the seriousness of the charges and the jury’s verdict and their recommended sentence. My biggest concern of course is with the victims and their families. I apologize for any additional pain that I might have caused them. I have reached out and apologized privately and publicly.”