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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Bluffdale man whose conviction for attempted murder was thrown out has quietly reached a deal with prosecutors over a 2009 shooting that paralyzed his neighbor.
Reginald Campos pleaded guilty on April 22 to one count of discharging a firearm, court records show.
State Judge Mark Kouris immediately sentenced Campos to serve one to 15 years in prison on the charge, but he credited Campos for nearly four years he's already served in prison.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Tuesday that his office had opted not to pursue another attempted murder trial against Campos, who said he shot his neighbor in self-defense.
"Our concern was to make sure he at least took responsibility for shooting, and with that amendment of the charge, he did," Gill said.
Campos' attorney, Steven Shapiro, declined to comment on the case.
Campos was convicted of attempted murder in 2010, but the Utah Court of Appeals reversed that last August, ruling Campos had a right to a new trial.
Campos had argued that his attorney did not effectively represent him in the 2010 trial, where he was also convicted of assault.
We just worked out what we thought was a fair resolution at this point.
–Sim Gill, Salt Lake County District Attorney
He has been serving time in Utah State Prison on that charge since 2010 but is scheduled to be released on parole for that charge on July 22.
Gill said that in addition to looking at the cost and time of another trial, the nearly four years Campos spent behind bars fits within the three years to-life sentence range for attempted murder.
"He's done about four years already, and we were not necessarily asking for any additional time — and everybody was good with that," Gill said. "We just worked out what we thought was a fair resolution at this point."
Campos has argued he shot in self-defense in July 2009. He suspected David Serbeck was aggressively following his 16-year-old daughter.
Serbeck has said he was driving around with another man as part of a neighborhood watch.
Campos tracked Serbeck down with his daughter after she came home in tears, court documents show. Campos shot Serbeck when Serbeck raised his gun.
Serbeck was paralyzed from the waist down after the shooting.
Serbeck is also in prison. He was convicted in 2012 on three counts of unlawful sex with a minor, a 17-year-old neighbor girl.
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