Marquise Yates

A Jacksonville man drew a 44-month prison sentence for his role in a drive-by shooting in south Macclenny in September of last year.

Marquise “Saint” Yates, 18, pleaded no contest in circuit court on July 26 to reduced counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was originally charged with attempted murder.

The defendant, a juvenile at the time, will be on probation 28 months when he is released.

Mr. Yates, who remained at large for a time after the September 12, 2010 shooting, was one of several persons in a vehicle that drove by the Quail Lane address of Carlos Grisset, then 16, when he was struck by several bullets.

Mr. Grisset, who apparently had been involved in an earlier feud with several others over a female, was flown to Shands Jacksonville but released shortly after. The second victim was Robert Wilcox, 25, of Macclenny, who was standing by Mr. Grisset and in the line of fire.

Mr. Yates has a lengthy record as a juvenile, and court records show he was the subject of 29 “referrals” for crimes ranging from car theft and resisting police to burglary.