Badon pleads guilty to negligent homicide
Last Modified: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 11:34 AM
By Taylor Prejean / American Press
A Sulphur man pleaded guilty on Monday to negligent homicide in connection with the 2011 fatal drive-by shooting of 20-year-old Stephin W. Bergeron.
Devin Blake Badon,19, was charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for his alleged part in the shooting.
The attempted murder charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement, and the second-degree murder charge was amended to negligent homicide. Louisiana law defines negligent homicide as “the killing of a human being by criminal negligence."
Badon’s defense attorney Todd S. Clemons said Badon intended to enter an Alford plea — essentially pleading guilty without admitting his involvement in the crime.
Badon stood trial in February, but Judge Kent Savoie declared a mistrial after jurors deliberated for nearly seven hours and were unable to reach a verdict.
Prosecutor Rick Bryant claimed during trial that Badon was instrumental in the preparation and commission of the shooting, although someone else actually shot Bergeron and attempted to shoot Bergeron’s friend Chance Bourgeois.
Bryant said on Monday that the shooting stemmed from a “verbal confrontation” that escalated throughout the day on April 13, 2011. He said Badon helped the alleged shooter, David Caleb Fontenot, obtain a gun and bullets.
Fontenot, who has been charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, is scheduled to stand trial Aug. 20.
Bryant said on Monday that he will not make a sentencing recommendation for Badon, but asked that a presentencing investigation be conducted.
Negligent homicide carries a maximum sentence of five years. Savoie said he will sentence Badon on Aug. 22.
Posted By: Dragon On: 6/19/2012
Title: BS
So he gets away with murder.
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