Three former officers from Marcy Correctional Facility will head to trial after rejecting plea deals in connection to the 2023 death of inmate Robert Brooks. The men—Michael Fisher, Michael Mashaw, and David Walters—appeared in Oneida County Court on Wednesday morning, where they each declined plea agreements that would have significantly reduced their potential prison time.
Judge Robert Bauer presided over the hearing, during which the defendants formally rejected the state’s offers. Fisher and Walters had been offered sentences of three to nine years in prison if they pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, while Mashaw was offered four to 12 years. By turning down the deals, each now faces a possible sentence of five to 15 years if convicted at trial.
A fourth former officer involved in the case accepted a plea agreement, though court officials did not immediately release details about that deal or the officer’s identity.
The charges stem from the fatal incident involving Robert Brooks, an incarcerated man whose death sparked public scrutiny and a state-led investigation into the conduct of correctional staff at the facility.
On Tuesday, three former Marcy COs, Anthony Farina, Nicholas Kieffer, and David Kingsley, rejected their plea deals in Oneida County Court.
Trials for Fisher, Mashaw, and Walters are expected to begin later this year.
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