Will smith, a former new orleans saints quarterback, was charged with murder after a traffic accident almost eight years ago. According to news outlets, the jury deliberated for more than four hours and reached its decision in the retrial of cardell hayes just after midnight on saturday. He faces up to 40 years in jail. During the april 2016 confrontation, hayes was cleared of attempted murder and assaulting smith’s wife, according to the jury. Hayes, 36, was found guilty of manslaughter in smith’s death and attempted manslaughter in december 2016 for the gunshot wounding of racquel smith. However, the jury vote was 10-2, and the conviction was dismissed after the us supreme court banned nonunanimous decisions. After serving more than four years in prison, hayes was released on bond. His retrial was postponed for a variety of reasons, including court closures during the covid-19 pandemic. On friday, prosecutors rested their case against hayes, and the defense refused to summon witnesses.
Hayes fired necessarily, according to the city’s top prosecutor, who delivered his closing argument. District attorney jason williams said, holding the evidence-tagged handgun hayes fired, striking smith eight times, seven in the back, and striking smith’s wife in the legs. Prosecutors, according to defense attorney john fuller, had not proven hayes did not act in self-defense. Fuller referred to a video of a 911 call made shortly after the shooting, in which hayes can be heard in the background, saying that smith intended to grab a pistol from his vehicle. Fuller tried to refute prosecutors’ allegations that racquel smith had calmed her husband down by the time hayes opened fire.
If you don’t have to say “calm down it’s not worth it,” he said, referring to prosecution testimony about racquel’s attempts to defuse the argument. Will smith was intoxicated at the time of the confrontation, according to reports. Hayes’ assertion that smith wielded or fired a pistol was denied by no forensic or witness testimony. Smith, a 34-year-old father of three, was a defensive leader on the saints team that lifted spirits in new orleans after hurricane katrina devastated the city in 2005. He led the team to a winning season in 2006 and a super bowl victory in 2010. Hayes, who owned a tow truck company, once played semi-pro football. He has one son.
