Cardell Hayes' attorneys hold unusual hearing before sentencing

The attorneys for the man who shot and killed former Saint Will Smith, hold an unusual hearing Tuesday, calling witnesses, after Cardell Hayes' conviction.

Three medical personnel were called to Judge Camille Buras' courtroom Tuesday morning. Each testified, Racquel Smith never told them, her husband accidentally shot her.

Prosecutor Jason Napoli asking Dr. John Hunt, "Throughout your treatment of Racquel Smith, did she ever indicate her injuries were due to an accidental discharge by her husband?".
Hunt replied, "No."

FOX 8 legal analyst Joe Raspanti says the hearing was baffling.

"I don't know what today was. It was a thing where people testified but it wasn't a motion for a new trial because one hasn't been filed. It wasn't testimony to that end."

Cardell Hayes was found guilty in December of shooting and killing Will Smith, after a confrontation in the Lower Garden District. It happened in April of last year. He was also found guilty of attempted manslaughter for the shooting of Racquel Smith. But throughout his trial, Hayes' maintained, he didn't shoot Racquel.

Hayes' defense attorney John Fuller asked the medical personnel to testify about the records filed the night Racquel arrived to the hospital. Her diagnosis was coded "Accidental discharge of a gun."

Dr. Stephen Thon, an orthopedic surgeon testified, "No one mentioned where that diagnosis came from."

Raspanti comments, "If they said things that are good or bad, who knows but it still seems very weird that we had this little hearing today, in between the trial and the sentencing."

Cardell Hayes is scheduled to be sentenced March 27th. He faces 20 to 40 years for the manslaughter conviction and up to 20 year for the attempted manslaughter conviction.

Copyright 2017 WVUE. All rights reserved.