Stafford to be sentenced Friday

motion for new trial to be heard

Attorneys for Derrick Stafford are expected to present arguments Friday in favor of a motion for a new trial and to oppose any imposition of an "enhanced sentence" for use of a firearm prior to 12th Judicial District Court Judge Billy Bennett handing down the sentence for manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.

The court proceedings are to begin at 11 a.m. Friday.

Stafford was convicted on March 24 of the manslaughter of 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis and the attempted manslaughter of the child's father, Christopher Few, following a vehicle pursuit through Marksville on Nov. 3, 2015. Stafford was on duty as a Ward 2/Marksville City Marshal's deputy at the time of the incident.

Manslaughter when the victim is less than 10 years old carries a sentence of 10-40 years in prison. A separate state law allows an "enhanced penalty" for use of a firearm in a violent crime. That can be 10-20 years. Sentence for attempted manslaughter is half of the sentence for manslaughter. A judge can order the sentences to be served back-to-back (consecutively) or at the same time (concurrently), which would basically mean the attempted manslaughter conviction would add no additional time to the sentence.

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