SEAN TAYLOR'S ALLEGED SHOOTER WANTS PLEA DEAL: Eric Rivera's lawyer seeks resolution that has 'best interest of all parties in mind.'
*Eric Rivera has not admitted that he was the man who shot Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor in what has been described as a botched home invasion, but his lawyer is said to be searching high and low for a plea deal with prosecutors.
"When the State Attorney's Office is ready, we would like to sit down and begin discussion with them so we can move towards a resolution in the case that has the best interest of all parties in mind," said his lawyer Sawyer Smith, according to the Associated Press. "We want to minimize the impact of case resolution on the Taylor family and find a result that's in the best interest of justice."
The State is accusing Rivera of being the trigger man during the Nov. 26 incident at Taylor's Miami home. The 17-year-old will be tried as an adult, which means he will also be eligible for the death penalty.
Circuit Judge John Thornton Jr. denied Rivera bail Wednesday in his brief appearance via videoconference in a Miami-Dade County courtroom. He has been indicted as an adult and Judge John Thornton found probable cause to support charges of first degree felony murder and burglary with assault or battery with a firearm against Rivera and his three co-defendants Charles Wardlow, 18; Jason Mitchell, 19; and Venjah Hunte, 20. All four will be arraigned later this month.
A lawyer for Wardlow has stated that his client did not know that Rivera was carrying a gun during the attempted burglary, and therefore, had no prior knowledge that a weapon would be used against Taylor.
Smith said the defense attorneys in the case have a history of working together, but he said he understood the grand jury's identification of his client as the alleged gunman puts him in a unique position.
"The other boys may be in a position to separate themselves somewhat from our client," he said. "However, under the felony murder rule, if it can be shown that they're involved in it, if they're involved in the burglary, then it's not a defense that they were not the one that pulled the trigger."
"When the State Attorney's Office is ready, we would like to sit down and begin discussion with them so we can move towards a resolution in the case that has the best interest of all parties in mind," said his lawyer Sawyer Smith, according to the Associated Press. "We want to minimize the impact of case resolution on the Taylor family and find a result that's in the best interest of justice."
The State is accusing Rivera of being the trigger man during the Nov. 26 incident at Taylor's Miami home. The 17-year-old will be tried as an adult, which means he will also be eligible for the death penalty.
Circuit Judge John Thornton Jr. denied Rivera bail Wednesday in his brief appearance via videoconference in a Miami-Dade County courtroom. He has been indicted as an adult and Judge John Thornton found probable cause to support charges of first degree felony murder and burglary with assault or battery with a firearm against Rivera and his three co-defendants Charles Wardlow, 18; Jason Mitchell, 19; and Venjah Hunte, 20. All four will be arraigned later this month.
A lawyer for Wardlow has stated that his client did not know that Rivera was carrying a gun during the attempted burglary, and therefore, had no prior knowledge that a weapon would be used against Taylor.
Smith said the defense attorneys in the case have a history of working together, but he said he understood the grand jury's identification of his client as the alleged gunman puts him in a unique position.
"The other boys may be in a position to separate themselves somewhat from our client," he said. "However, under the felony murder rule, if it can be shown that they're involved in it, if they're involved in the burglary, then it's not a defense that they were not the one that pulled the trigger."
