Kevin Andre Smith Jr.
Kevin Andre Smith Jr.
A 23-year-old Detroit man accused of shooting U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg last year during an attempted robbery outside his northwest Detroit home got a mixed verdict from a Wayne County Circuit Court jury on Tuesday.
Oralander Brand Williams of the Detroit News writes that the jury convicted Kevin Andre Smith Jr. of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and two felony firearms possession charges related to other armed robberies in the city.
Jurors found him not guilty of armed robbery and assault with intent to murder in the incident involving the judge.
A short fall in the trial for prosecutors was that Judge Berg was not able to positively identify the defendant.
Smith was part of an armed robbery ring on the city's west side.
An alleged co-conspirator, Robert Williams, who worked out a plea agreement, testified he saw Smith shoot the judge. Smith's attorney questioned his motives for saying that, and apparently jurors didn't buy it.
Berg was taking garbage cans to the side of his home when he was approached by two men. One produced a gun and they said they wanted to get into his house. Berg refused. One man shot him in the leg and the robbers both fled.
Berg has since recovered from the shooting.
