By Christine Briel / skaneatelesDesign

I have a Twitter account and it is really convenient for the latest news, etc. and just chatting with others during the work day. I subscribe to the Post Standard Tweets and they just posted the results on the Craig Cordes Trial. You can read the Post Standard news article in its entirety below, or visit their website for more local news:

“Syracuse, NY - A town of Onondaga man pleaded guilty this morning to killing two people in an alcohol-related boat crash on Skaneateles Lake last summer.

Craig Cordes pleaded guilty before Onondaga County Judge Anthony Aloi to a single felony count of first-degree vehicular manslaughter, admitting he was boating while intoxicated when he caused the death of John Kelly and Heather Wilkins. Aloi promised Cordes a sentence of 3 1/3 to 10 years in state prison. Cordes was taken into custody in court to be held in jail pending sentencing May 14.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Doran said the families of Kelly and Wilkins both agreed to the plea disposition. Defense lawyer James McGraw said Cordes was truly remorseful.

But McGraw also claimed Kelly bore some responsibility for the crash.The defense lawyer said Kelly had a blood alcohol count of .19 and was drifting in his boat without lights at the time of the collision.

Cordes was to have gone on trial in the case next week. McGraw said the consequences of a harsher sentence upon conviction prompted the defense to take the plea deal today.”

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