After three days of testimony and hours of tense waiting, a Jefferson Parish jury delivered a split verdict for former New Orleans police officer Larry King Jr., finding him guilty of simple battery for an attack on his ex-wife while acquitting him of five felony charges. Jurors deliberated for about seven hours before reaching their decision. King is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on April 1, as per NOLA.com.
Jury Returns Split Verdict
Jurors cleared King of five felony counts but opted for a lesser simple-battery conviction as a responsive verdict instead of the more serious domestic-abuse charges originally brought by prosecutors. According to NOLA.com, the state had pursued felony charges that included domestic abuse with serious bodily injury and strangulation. Under Louisiana law, a simple-battery conviction can be punished by up to six months in parish jail, as reflected in the statute hosted by Justia. A sentencing hearing is set for April 1.
Allegations Date to 2019, Arrested in 2021
Authorities say the alleged abuse occurred between October and November 2019, and that the victim was later diagnosed with head trauma that led to a brain bleed requiring surgery. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigation resulted in an arrest warrant and King’s March 2021 arrest on multiple felony counts. The New Orleans Police Department’s Public Integrity Bureau handled the arrest and placed King on emergency suspension. Those details were reported by WDSU…