A Schenectady man convicted of killing a man in New Jersey in 2001 will complete his four-year sentence after losing his appeal, according to a local newspaper.
Joseph Campon, 24, argued in his appeal that the jury’s verdict was against the weight of the evidence and that the sentence was excessive, according to the Cape May County Herald.
The appeal was denied Monday. The decision however, is only expected to mean Campon serves two more months. His release date is set for July 4, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections Web site.
Campon was convicted in 2005 of the fatal stabbing of Christopher Loftus, 19, of Lower Township, N.J. Loftus was killed July 2, 2001, as Campon visited the area for a family reunion.
According to testimony, Loftus and another man made advances at Campon‘s sister and another 16-year-old relative, and when Campon intervened, the two exchanged words. Their argument spilled into the street, where a drunken Loftus swung a broken bottle and Campon pulled a pen knife from his pocket, stabbing Loftus five times before fleeing the scene.
Loftus, who had a blood alcohol level of 0.26 percent, died in the street.
The judge in the case gave Campon the lesser sentence, noting Campon’s age at the time and that Loftus was the initial aggressor.
Campon, who claimed he was acting in self-defense, was originally charged with murder. He was tried in 2003, but a mistrial was declared after a jury was unable to reach a verdict after five days of deliberations.
Categories: -News-
