Hykeem Tucker and Maurice Skillman appeared in court for the 6th day of a murder trial examining the shooting of a corrections officer in 2012
TRENTON - The murder trial for two men accused of shooting an off-duty corrections officer could be nearing a close.
Defense attorneys representing Hykeem Tucker and Maurice Skillman made a motion to acquit the two men of murder charges at the end of the sixth day of the trial Thursday, Tucker's attorney, Chris Campbell said.
Hykeem Tucker (left) and Maurice Skillman (right) are on trial for the 2012 slaying of off-duty corrections officer Carl Batie After listening to arguments from defense attorneys as well as Assistant Prosecutor James Scott, Superior Court Judge Andrew Smithson said he was considering the motion, Campbell added.
He is expected to make a decision Friday.
Tucker and Skillman are on trial for the slaying of off-duty Mercer County Corrections Officer Carl Batie who was shot to death on the balcony of the Baldassari Regency Banquet Hall in November, 2012.
Prosecutors claim that Tucker and Skillman arrived at the hall and were in a parking lot outside when they fired 22 shots at the balcony where around 50 people stood. Batie was the only person killed but authorities have said they don't believe he was the intended target.
So far the trial has seen a host of witnesses including Batie's brother, Karshawn Batie - who described dropping to the ground of the balcony when shots went off - and Trenton Police Det. Scott Peterson, who interviewed Tucker after his arrest.
On Thursday a firearms expert from the New Jersey State Police took the stand and said 19 of the 22 shell casings found at the scene of the shooting came from the same gun. He testified that those 19 shell casings were fired by a TEC-9 handgun.
A gun was never retrieved in the case but prosecutors showed a photo Thursday of a semi-automatic TEC-9 handgun that they believe could be similar to the one used to kill Batie.
The sixth day of the trial ended with defense attorneys making a motion of acquittal, claiming that prosecutors could not prove Tucker and Skillman shot Batie based on the evidence they had presented and on Karshawn Batie's testimony.
Campbell said he, Skillman's defense attorney Nicole Carlo and prosecutors will meet with Smithson Friday morning. Tucker and Skillman might testify during the trial next week.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.