Mayes enters Alford plea in 2020 East Second shooting

Travis Mayes, the man accused of shooting Darrell Bateman on East Second Street in February of 2020, entered an Alford plea in Christian Circuit Court Wednesday morning.

Mayes was originally charged with first-degree assault, but he entered an Alford plea to assault under extreme emotional disturbance, with Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling detailing the plea agreement that comes with a recommended one-year sentence.

That sentence is to run consecutively with prior sentences that Mayes is already serving, with credit for time served—a persistent felony offender charge was dismissed. Judge John Atkins accepted his plea and sentenced him, as Mayes chose to waive final sentencing.

An Alford plea is a guilty plea where a defendant maintains their innocence, but acknowledges there is likely enough evidence to result in a conviction should the case go to trial.