A Milwaukee County courtroom got an abrupt plot twist Monday when Judge David Borowski refused to sign off on a plea deal that would have slashed potential prison time for a teenager accused in last summer's abduction of a 7-year-old. The agreement on the table would have cut the 15-year-old's exposure from more than 90 years behind bars down to 15, but Borowski said he was not having it. The defendant, identified in court filings as Barry Coleman, sat shackled at the defense table while attorneys for both sides tried to sell the deal.
According to WISN, the offer would have required Coleman to plead guilty to robbery and give up his right to a trial. Borowski was blunt from the bench, telling the courtroom, "This crime, as described in the complaint, is straight out of a very, very, I'll say severe Netflix movie," before adding, "No way am I taking what's on the table to take him from 90 plus years in prison to 15." Instead of approving the agreement, the judge sent both sides back to the negotiating table.
How prosecutors say the abduction unfolded
Prosecutors say the July kidnapping started as a plan to rob the boy's mother, then spun out of control when suspects grabbed the 7-year-old as he rode his bike near 61st and Hustis and forced him into a white Jeep at gunpoint, according to FOX6. Court filings and surveillance video describe the child being held overnight while the group demanded $100,000 and jewelry. An Amber Alert went out and was later canceled after the boy was found safe. Two adults, Corey Williams, 25, and Fabian Johnson, 38, were also charged in the case.
Next court steps
Another plea hearing is now set for May 26 in Milwaukee County court, when prosecutors and the defense will get another shot at resolving the case, WISN reports. Both sides came in Monday appearing ready to lock in the deal before Borowski shut it down. His decision leaves the case hovering between a possible trial and a reworked plea offer.
Why the judge balked
Borowski is not exactly known for light sentencing, especially in high-profile cases involving teenagers. In November he handed another teen 35 years in prison, as reported by CBS58. That history, combined with the severity of the kidnapping allegations in this case, helps explain his reluctance to sign off on a deal that would have cut potential time behind bars so dramatically.
Legal stakes
Prosecutors charged Coleman in adult court last year, and the counts he faces could stack into decades in prison if he is convicted, according to local reporting and charging summaries reviewed by Spectrum News. The rejected deal would have capped that exposure at roughly 15 years if Borowski had gone along with it.
For now, the judge's refusal keeps both punishment and process up in the air until the May 26 hearing, when families and court watchers will see whether prosecutors adjust their offer or gear up to take the case to trial.
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