Dant Wright smiled and laughed in court, mocking the victim’s family as they cried. He showed no remorse for his actions, leaving everyone in the room in shock. I just want to tell y’all I’ll be home soon or I’ll be ke I love my family. That’s when the judge had to step in and wipe the smile off his face.
Smile, laugh, and shake your head like this was no big deal. If you’ll go to prison for the rest of your life, that means you’ll die there. This is the case of Dant Wright, a teen who couldn’t stop smiling in court. convinced he’d be out of jail soon and back on the streets. In October 2016, the quiet city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, was shaken by a crime that felt more like a nightmare than reality.
18-year-old Jordan Cle, a promising high school senior with dreams of a bright future, never made it home one night. His life was cut short during what began as a robbery planned by three teenagers, Dant Wright, Delredo Gracie, and Gerriius Ellison. The plan was simple. Lure Jordan in. Rob him and make a quick escape.
But plans like these rarely go the way they’re imagined. The robbery escalated, and Jordan never walked away. His family was left devastated, his future stolen in an instant. Police wasted little time. The investigation quickly led to the three teens, and soon Dant Wright found himself behind bars, facing charges that could keep him locked away for decades.
But Wright didn’t seem to grasp the seriousness of it all. From the very beginning, his demeanor stood out, while others facing such charges often appear shaken or remorseful. Wright often carried himself with a grin, as if none of it would stick to him. Facing the possibility of life behind bars, Wright struck a plea agreement.
He admitted guilt to seconddegree charges in exchange for avoiding the harshest sentence homicide case. Uh you would agree to serve 23 to 50 years in Michigan Department of Corrections plus two on the felony firearm. How do you want to plead to counts 2, three, six, and seven? I’m plead guilty. As a result of that armed robbery, um what did you do with that gun and Mr.
Jordan police? Shot him. And where did you shoot him? on the top. People are satisfied now. This deal gave him a range of 23 to 50 years in prison. Still a huge chunk of his life, but not a lifetime guarantee. For the victim’s family, this deal was difficult to accept. It meant that one day, possibly sooner than they’d like to imagine.
Wright could walk free, but at least it meant accountability. Or so they thought. Fast forward to September 2017. The courtroom was filled with tension. The Cle family sat together, bracing themselves to speak about their son, their brother, their friend. They carried the weight of grief, hoping that telling their story might finally bring some closure.
But what they encountered instead left them shocked. As family members poured their hearts out, describing sleepless nights, shattered dreams, and unbearable loss, Wright sat just a few feet away, smiling. He laughed. He whispered to himself. His body language carried no sorrow, no empathy. It was as though their pain meant nothing. I wake up hearing my son scream for me to then have to realize all over again night after night my son is dead. Gone.
Taken for what? Why? Can you answer the question? Why? Why? I have an answer. Your answer will never be good enough. There will never be an answer good enough to satisfy why you shot my son. Why you thought that what you had should be yours. Why you felt that what you wanted you were entitled to. Why you thought his death was an acceptable response to your jealousy or desire to what he had.
Drugs, clothes, money, jewelry, bones, shoes, whatever it was that you felt you needed more than his life. Your why will never be better than his life. Your want will never trump my son’s death. You get to live. get to wake up every day. Your life continues. I sincerely, sincerely hope that whatever it was you wanted so badly that you felt the need to murder my son was worth the next at least 52 years of your continued existence.
You won’t get the luxury of raising your child because you took mine away.” One family member broke down, overwhelmed with tears, while Wright smirked as if it were some kind of performance. After the family finished pouring out their hearts in their victim impact statements, Dant told his defense attorney to ask the judge if he could speak.
Judge David Schwarz, giving him the benefit of the doubt, allowed it, expecting maybe an apology, a sign of regret, or at least a shred of respect for the pain in the room. But instead, Wright did the unthinkable. He bragged about how he’d be out soon, almost taunting the grieving family sitting just feet away. Yes, sir. Mr. Right.
What would you like to say? I just want to tell y’all I’ll be home soon or I’ll be Keon. I love my family. That’s all you got to say. His words carried no care for Jordan’s memory, no sympathy for the Cle family. No respect for the court and no recognition of the seriousness of what he had done. Judge David Schwarz, watching closely, had finally seen enough.
He stopped the proceedings and addressed Wright directly. He pointed out the smirks, the laughter, the head shaking, and made it clear that his behavior was unacceptable. The judge even threatened to reject the plea deal altogether and push the case to trial where Wright could face even harsher consequences. You know, I have um never in 23 years approximately ever not accepted a sentence agreement between the parties because it’s bargain for sentenced by the parties.
But watching you sit there smile and laugh and shake your head like this was no big deal. I’m very tempted to just say, “I’m not going to accept this sentence agreement. We’ll go to trial and if you’re convicted of felony murder, you’ll go to prison for the rest of your life. That means you’ll die there. That’s what I’m tempted to do.
” For the first time, Wright’s cocky grin faltered. The judge had wiped the smile off his face and the courtroom sat in silence. After the outburst, Judge Schwarz delivered the sentence 23 to 50 years in prison. A long stretch that would keep Wright behind bars through what should have been the prime of his life.
Wright wasn’t the only one held accountable. His accompllices, described as just as reckless that night, were also sentenced. They each received lengthy prison terms of their own, ensuring that none of them would be walking free anytime soon. But for the Cle family, no sentence could ever bring Jordan back. They wept in court, their pain compounded by the callous behavior they had witnessed.
The community erupted in outrage. News outlets reported the story with headlines about the teen who smiled during sentencing. The videos from the courtroom spread online, causing debates everywhere. Some said Wright’s behavior showed a complete lack of maturity and respect, proof that he was unfit to rejoin society anytime soon.
Others argued that maybe he was nervous, that sometimes people laugh or smile in stressful situations. But for most, the conclusion was simple. His arrogance in court spoke volumes about his character. The Daner Wright case remains infamous, not just for the crime itself, but for what happened in that courtroom.
Wright’s actions forced the judge to intervene, exposing just how fragile the line is between arrogance and accountability. Dant Wright thought he could laugh his way through sentencing, mocking a family already broken with grief, but the judge stepped in and made sure his arrogance was met with the full weight of justice. What do you think? Was his behavior proof that he didn’t deserve a second chance, or do you believe the laughter was just nervousness misunderstood in the moment? Let me know your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe
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