BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A last-minute decision in court could result in a Buffalo man spending the rest of his life in prison. Leonard Robinson had a choice to make Tuesday: whether to plead guilty in a murder case for a chance at less time in prison.
"He's 20 years old, and to make a decision on potentially the rest of his life behind bars is a difficult thing," said Michael D'Amico, Robinson's attorney.
Robinson is accused of shooting and killing Antoin Vance, 42, inside of Vance’s Buffalo home in November, and shooting and injuring Dominique Jackson, 24.
The District Attorney's Office says minutes after the shooting, Robinson was also involved in a crash where a car barreled through the guard rails on Humboldt Parkway and landed on the 33.
Robinson was charged with murder 2nd, attempted murder 2nd, and criminal possession of a weapon 2nd.
"He faces up to 25 on the murder, he faces up to 25 on the attempted murder here, and he has robbery charges that he's already pled guilty to that he faces 25 years on. All of those could run consecutive, meaning back-to-back," said D'Amico.
By pleading guilty Tuesday to second degree murder, D'Amico says Robinson would have received a sentence of 20 years-to-life instead, which would run concurrently with the sentence from the other case.
Robinson told the court no one forced or coerced him to plead guilty, but when the judge asked him questions to make sure he understood his decision, he had to speak to his lawyer.
Eventually, D'Amico said, "It is his desire to not enter into that plea today." That choice impacts his robbery case as well.
"It's the people's position that if the defendant did not enter the plea to murder in the second degree today, that we'd withdraw our consent to the plea in that case. Meaning the defendant would have to plead guilty to everything that he's charged with or go to trial," said John Feroleto, Assistant Erie County District Attorney.
"He was willing and ready to take the plea, and I think he just quite honestly got a little bit of cold feet. I'm going to talk to him and see what the problem is. I don't think he realizes given his young age, how much time he's actually facing," said D'Amico.
The District Attorney's Office didn't indicate the offer would still be available. The case is now moving forward to trial and Robinson is due back in court May 16 for pretrial proceedings.