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DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit man who pleaded no contest to manslaughter still hasn't been sentenced — six years after his conviction.
The Wayne County prosecutor's office "lost track of the case," especially after a prosecutor resigned and Leroy Moon had health problems, spokeswoman Maria Miller told The Detroit News .
Moon, who's now 78, was accused of shooting a man who urinated outside his fish market in 2009. He pleaded no contest to manslaughter in 2011, a year after his murder trial ended in a mistrial, and has been free on bond since the conviction.
The News said Moon's plea deal calls for a year in jail. Defense attorney Marlon Evans said he doesn't know whether he'll ask a judge to keep his client out of jail, considering all the years that have passed. A hearing is set for Jan. 9.
"He's an old man who still suffers from a lot of medical issues," Evans said Friday, declining further comment.
Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning said Moon is fortunate that he wasn't being held in jail for years while awaiting his sentence.
"In a busy court system, these kinds of mistakes happen," Henning said.
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Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/
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