District Judge Eddie Northcutt rejected the original plea bargain offered to Roy Dean Duffey in 2011, in the 8th District Court today. This will essentially restart the entire trial process including jury selection. The re-trial is tentatively slated for Summer 2015.
Duffey is accused of the stabbing death of David Harrison Cooper in Sulphur Springs on February 20, 2011.
Here is a brief summary of events is this case.
Days after the plea bargain, friends and family of Duffey met with District Judge Robert Newsom. It is suggested that this meeting could have required Judge Newsom to be removed from the case. Defense attorneys sought to have Judge Newsom removed from the case. A visiting judge John Ovard denied their motion keeping Judge Newsom. Subsequently Duffey pleaded guilty to manslaughter and went to a jury for punishment. Duffey plead guilty and a jury sentenced him to 12 years in prison. An appeals court overturned the case and sent it back to 8th District Court.
Again today’s ruling will re-start the entire trial process.
Click here for a KSST March 2015 story in this case.
Click here for an KSST October 2014 story in this case.
Court of Appeals Record DUFFEY v. STATE with details about some of the concerns.
