The trial of a Palmyra man charged with murder in connection with the bludgeoning death of another man in Detroit last summer will proceed as scheduled after lawyers this week failed to reach agreement on a plea deal.
Jason C. Cote, 22, along with his lawyers and state prosecutors, met in a settlement conference with a judge in Augusta on Tuesday.
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Cote faces 25 years to life in prison for the July 17 killing of Ricky B. Cole inside Cole’s mobile home in Detroit.
Options during Tuesday’s conference included working out an agreement to a plea, either to murder with a particular sentence, or manslaughter with a particular sentence, defense attorney John Alsop said before the meeting.
“Our settlement conference was not successful,” Alsop said Friday. He said he could not discuss any details of the meeting, saying only that he was disappointed.
Deputy Attorney General William Stokes said a resolution was not agreed upon, so a trial in the case is due to begin May 19.
Cote entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment Sept. 13. He remains held without bail at the Somerset County Jail.
Doug Harlow can be contacted at 612-2367 or at:
dharlow@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @Doug_Harlow
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