Attorneys in Todd County are discussing an Alford plea in the case of Carson Moore, the man accused of nearly beating his wife to death last summer at their home on Old Trenton Road.
An Alford plea is a guilty plea in criminal court, where a defendant in a criminal case does not admit to the criminal act and asserts innocence.
The alleged victim, 67-year old Johnnie Moore, has no memory of the incident that put her in Skyline Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and her medical records show a history of falls and seizures that attorney Ken Haggard has contended could have led to those injuries.
Acting Commonwealth’s Attorney Justin Crocker acknowledged Wednesday morning that an Alford plea deal has been discussed, but says he knows Circuit Judge Tyler Gill normally is hesitant to accept such a plea.
Judge Gill didn’t shut the door on an Alford plea, but says his experience is that defendants often come to regret the decision.
Haggard says any potential Alford plea deal with a misdemeanor charge that he would agree to would not come with prison time.
Judge Gill also signed an order to compel additional medical records of the alleged victim.
Another hearing was set for next Wednesday morning.