Staten’s attorney, Stephen Collins, told a Clark County judge Wednesday that the Feaster’s death was an accident.
Feaster and Staten got into an argument at Staten’s Catherine Street home, Collins said, when, “the entire situation began to escalate.”
Two other people got involved, he said, and at some point Staten grabbed his gun.
“He put his firearm into his jacket pocket and in attempting to get back in the house he fell near the steps,” Collins said.
Then, he said, three people began to assault Staten.
“What started out as self defense just turned into a tragic accident where that gun went off accidentally,” Collins said.
One shot was fired through Staten’s jacket pocket, hitting Feaster in the chest and killing him, the lawyer said.
Staten wiped tears away while he awaited his sentence and told Clark County Common Pleas Court Judge Douglas Rastatter he’s sorry for what happened.
“Things won’t ever be the same so I’m just sorry,” Staten said.
Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Driscoll requested the maximum three-year sentence for the charge.
“We believe with the reckless homicide charge, with a firearm that this is the worst form of that offense,” Driscoll said.
Rastatter agreed, noting that Staten had been charged with multiple crimes throughout a 10-year period.
“I find it disingenuous that you would come into court and say this was just a terrible accident,” he said.
Staten was also sentenced to three years probation.
He was arrested in October and a Clark County grand jury initially indicted him on charges of murder and felonious assault.
Staten pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of reckless homicide, Driscoll said. During a trial, the prosecution would have needed to prove Staten intended to kill Feaster the night of the shooting without a reasonable doubt, he said.
“The definition of murder is to purposefully cause the death of another,” Driscoll said.
With the charge of reckless homicide, prosecutors had to prove that Staten was reckless in his actions, Driscoll said, leading to the death of Feaster.
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