Brant Thundercloud, a UW-Madison freshman accused of stabbing a fellow student in Sellery Hall Sept. 13, could receive two years of probation and have his record expunged under a plea agreement, the district attorney's office offered Wednesday.
Thundercloud, 18, was charged Sept. 16 with a felony count of negligent operation or handling of a dangerous weapon. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing in court Wednesday and pled not guilty to the charge.
By doing so, Thundercloud opened the door to accept the district attorney's offer of a plea bargain.
Thundercloud's charge would be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor if he pleads guilty or no contest to the lesser charge of battery by use of a dangerous weapon, according to Doug McLean, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case.
If he successfully completes the two years' probation, the misdemeanor charge would be expunged from his record, McLean said.
Thundercloud's attorney, Laura Arbuckle, called the offer \a very reasonable resolution,"" and added her client is considering it.
""Any time you can have a client escape a conviction that will last with him a lifetime, absolutely it's beneficial,"" Arbuckle said.
Before she and her client can decide to accept the offer, she will need to review the police reports on the case, Arbuckle said. Those reports are never made available to attorneys until the preliminary hearing, according to Arbuckle.
The felony charge carries a punishment of up to a $10,000 fine and three-and-a-half years in prison if convicted.
Thundercloud is accused of cutting a two-inch gash into the arm of UW-Madison freshman Christopher Boll during a confrontation with him and UW-Madison freshman Andrew Woolley. Boll needed eight stitches according to the criminal complaint.
