Jameen Kelly rejects plea deal in Rome Denny's stabbing

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Jameen Kelly rejects plea deal in Rome Denny's stabbing

By MEGAN KOSKOVICH

Story Created: Apr 25, 2008 at 11:43 AM EDT

Story Updated: May 7, 2008 at 10:02 AM EDT

UTICA - The second of three men charged with murder rejected a plea deal Friday.

Jameen Kelly is facing two counts of second-degree murder and other felony charges following a fatal fight outside of Denny's in Rome back in March.

Two men - Daniel Hernandez and Judson Watkins died in that fight. The judge says by rejecting the plea deal Kelly could now face a sentence of up to 100 years in prison.

Kelly's defense attorney, Rebecca Whitman, tried to dismiss the charges Friday. She says her client did not testify before a grand jury because he wasn't aware he was being charged with a second count of murder.

"We would really have no basis to remotely conclude that other than Judson Watkins ended up dead in the course of the fight that we were going to be subject to not one murder count but a murder count of Judson Watkins," Wittman said.

Judge Barry Donalty dismissed the motion, and Kelly will be back in court in May. That's when the third man accused of being involved in the fight - Joshua Diggs - will be in court to accept or reject his plea deal.

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Saturday, Apr 26 at 9:41 AM Todd Walker wrote ...

couldn't agree more with what Anonymous said....

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Friday, Apr 25 at 2:19 PM Gail wrote ...

Maybe the judge should put this man in with the man who just got 3 1/2 years for sexual abusing a six year old and with the 3 that beat Carl Hill to death with a cueball all in the same cell and let them have at. Maybe the old saying to do unto others as you would have done to you would sink in. I'm sure there wouldn't be much left in that cell for us tax payers to pay for and it would be a win-win situation. JUSTICE SERVED!

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Friday, Apr 25 at 1:17 PM Anonymous wrote ...

3 hot meals, a place to sleep, cable TV and full medical benifits....all at the cost of us taxpayers. Theres a sucess story if ive ever heard one!

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