A 40-year-old East Orange man sentenced today to five years in state prison for the fatal shooting of a man in Newark.
Under a plea deal, Superior Court Judge Peter Ryan sentenced Eric Talmadge to five years in state prison of which he must serve more than four years before becoming eligible for parole. Talmadge will also receive credit for more than two and a half years of time served.
During the hearing, Talmadge's attorney, Wanda Akin, cited that a plea agreement was reached between the parties after deficiencies in the state's case in connection with witnesses and the credibility of their accounts against her client.
Talmadge who was initially charged with murder (a minimum 30 year sentence), pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose as part of a plea agreement for the fatal shooting of Bilal Woods, 31, of Newark.