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WEBVTT WE GO OUTSIDE THE COURT NOW FORTHOSE DETAILS.>> A WRINKLE IN THIS SENTENCE.EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS SENTENCED TOSERVE 15 MONTHS, SHE WILL NOT GOTO JAIL TODAY, THE JUDGE OFALLOWING A STAY, REMAINING FREEWHILE HER CASE IS BEINGAPPEALED.CARTER WAS CONVICTED OFINVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER IN THESUICIDE DEATH OF HER BOYFRIENDCONRAD ROY.SHE WAS 17 AT THE TIME OF THECRIME AND SENT MANY TEXTMESSAGES TELLING HIM TO GET BACKINTO HIS TRUCK AS IT WAS FILLINGWITH CARBON MONOXIDE.THE JUDGE HEARD IMPACTSTATEMENTS.CONRAD ROY'S FATHER ADDRESSEDTHE COURT, AND THE PROSECUTORREAD A LETTER FROM THE VICTIM'SMOTHER.MICHELLE CARTER USED HISWEAKNESSES AND USED THEM IN UPONIT SHE HAS NOT SHOWN ANYREMORSE.IT MAKES IS THAT THEUNIMAGINABLE.EVERY DAY, I WILL HONOR HIM.>> I PRAY THAT A LAW COMES FORTHTHAT IT -- SO THAT ANOTHERMOTHER DOES NOT HAVE TO INDOORWHAT I AM.THIS DOES NOT STOP AFTER ATRIAL.I PRAY HIS DEATH WILL SAVE LIVESSOMEDAY.>> CARTER HAD FACED A MAXIMUM OF20 YEARS OR NO JAIL TIME AT ALL.THE JUDGE SAID HE TOOK INTOCONSIDERATION HER AGE AT THETIME OF THE CRIME AS WELL AS HERPOTENTIAL FOR REHABILITATION.HE RULED 15 MONTHS IN PRISONWITH AN ADDITIONAL 15 MONTHS ONPROBATION, BUT THE DEFENSE PLANSTO APPEAL, SO NOW THAT 15 MONTHINCARCERATION WILL BE ON HOLD ASTHE CASE MAKES ITS WAY THROUGHTHE APPEALS PROCESS.MANY OF CONRAD ROY'S FAMILY ANDFRIENDS WERE IN THE COURTROOM.SOME WERE EXPRESSING ANGER ASTHEY LEFT THE COURTROOM OF THEJUDGE DECISION TO ALLOW A STAY.EMILY: BEFORE YOU GO, YOU ARETALKING ABOUT APPEAL, BUT WEKNOW THE SJC HAS ALREADY WEIGHEDIN ON THIS.>> YES, LAST YEAR THE SJC SAWTHE EVIDENCE AND TEXT MESSAGES.THEY HAD TO RULE ON WHETHER ORNOT THIS TRIAL COULD GO FORWARDIN THE FIRST PLACE, AND THEYWERE VERY CLEAR IN THEIRDECISION.THEY CALLED MICHELLE CARTER'SACTIONS A SYSTEMIC CAMPAIGN OFCOERCION AND SAID HERCOMMUNICATION HAD MORE WEIGHTTHAN MERE WORDS, SO IT ISUNCLEAR AT THIS POINT HOWSUCCESSFUL A

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A Massachusetts woman who encouraged her boyfriend to kill himself in dozens of text messages and told him to "get back in" a truck filled with toxic gas was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in jail on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. But it's unclear if, or when, the woman will actually serve any jail time. Michelle Carter, 20, was convicted of involuntarily manslaughter in June by Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz, who said her final instructions to Conrad Roy III caused his death.Carter must be incarcerated for 15 months of the 2 1/2 year sentence, and the rest of the sentence will be suspended, followed by 5 years of probation, Moniz said. The judge immediately stayed Carter's sentence until a state appeals court can determine if she is protected by the First Amendment in the case.During the appeals process, Carter is not allowed contact with the victim's family or trial witnesses and she cannot leave the state, the judge said. Carter is also banned from profiting from her story or doing interviews. Carter was 17 when the 18-year-old Roy was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in July 2014.Before Carter's sentencing, Roy's father and sister read victim impact statements, and a statement from his mother was read on her behalf. "I am heartbroken; my family is heartbroken. My son was my best friend," said Roy's father, Conrad Roy Jr."Every day I will continue to honor him. I pray that a law comes forth so that another mother won't endure what I am," Lynn Roy said in a statement read on her behalf. Roy Jr. said his son had struggles, but believed the worst was behind him. "Michelle Carter exploited his weaknesses and used him as a pawn for her own well-being. She has not shown any remorse," Roy Jr. said. Roy's sister, Camdyn, said her older brother was her best friend and role model. "Not a day goes by without him being my first thought when I wake up or last thought when I go to bed," she said.The sensational trial was closely watched on social media, in part because of the insistent tone of Carter's text messages.In dozens of text messages, Carter urged Roy to follow through on his talk of taking his own life. "The time is right and you are ready ... just do it babe," Carter wrote in a text the day he killed himself."You can't think about it. You just have to do it. You said you were gonna do it. Like I don't get why you aren't," Carter wrote in one text.Carter's lawyer, Joseph Cataldo, argued that Roy was determined to kill himself and nothing Carter did could change that. He said Carter initially tried to talk Roy out of it and urged him to get professional help, but eventually went along with his plan. Cataldo also argued that Carter's words amounted to free speech protected by the First Amendment.In convicting Carter, the judge focused his ruling on Carter telling Roy to "get back in" after he climbed out of his truck as it was filling with carbon monoxide and told her he was afraid.The judge said those words constituted "wanton and reckless conduct" under the manslaughter statute.Carter and Roy met in Florida in 2012 while both were on vacation with their families. After that, they only met in person a handful of times. Their relationship consisted mainly of texting.Both teens struggled with depression. Carter had been treated for anorexia, and Roy had made earlier suicide attempts.Carter's father said his daughter made "a tragic mistake," and asked for probation and continued counseling.The Associated Press contributed to this report.