The state’s highest court has upheld the conviction of the Aurelius man who stabbed a sheriff’s deputy in 2020
On October 23, 2020, Luke Gaffney stabbed a Cayuga County Sheriff’s Deputy who attempted to take his guns. The deputy was taken to Upstate Hospital for treatment of his wounds, including a wound to a vital artery.
On March 20, 2023, Gaffney was convicted of Aggravated Assault Upon a Police Officer in Cayuga County Court. He had also been charged with Attempted Murder, but was acquitted of that charge. For the assault conviction, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by five years’ post-release supervision on June 12 of that year.
On November 15, 2024, the Appellate Division upheld Gaffney’s conviction. The decision was appealed.
Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci announced on Tuesday that the New York State Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, has affirmed Gaffney’s conviction. Grome Antonacci added that the decision marks the end of Gaffney’s direct appeal.
The trial case was handled by Grome Antonacci and Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Valdina, with Valdina representing the district attorney’s office during the appeals process.
