NEW ORLEANS — The man who fatally shot former NFL star Will Smith following a 2016 traffic collision has a bond hearing scheduled Thursday, seeking freedom after his manslaughter conviction in Smith's death was overturned because his trial jury's vote was not unanimous.
Cardell Hayes was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the manslaughter conviction in Smith's shooting and attempted manslaughter in the wounding of Smith's wife Raquel. The convictions came on 10-2 jury votes at Hayes' December 2016 trial.
But the U.S. Supreme Court has since ruled that non-unanimous verdicts are unconstitutional. His conviction was tossed and his lawyers sought bond.
Hayes has insisted he shot Smith in self-defense during a confrontation over a traffic crash.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.