State v. Hanner

NORRIS, Judge.

Defendant Sheldon W. Hanner was indicted by a LaSalle Parish grand jury for second degree murder, LSA-R.S. 14:30.1. Because of extensive pretrial publicity, defendant obtained a change of venue to Winn Parish. When the jury there was unable to reach a verdict, the judge declared a mistrial. Before the second trial, the defendant and prosecutor announced a plea bargain whereby Hanner would plead guilty to the lesser included offense of manslaughter, LSA-R.S. 14:31. The trial judge accepted the guilty plea and subsequently sentenced Hanner to fourteen years at hard labor on the…