By Madison Forwood
SACRAMENTO – A Sacramento man pleaded no contest Wednesday in Sacramento County Superior Court to a single victim assault—the defendant was part of a group involved in a beating at Arden Mall.
In a separate incident, Arden Mall was the scene this past week where two young men were shot and killed.
In Sacramento Superior Courtroom 62 Wednesday, Wayne Barfield was represented by his private defense attorney Dena Stone and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Timothy Carr.
Barfield, with four other people, allegedly assaulted the victim at Arden Mall in Sacramento.
DDA Carr explained, “The group worked together to punch and kick the victim a number of times and collectively their efforts amounted to force likely to cause great bodily injury. It actually 
resulted in a number of injuries to his [victim’s] face.”
Originally, this was a hearing in preparation for a trial in 2021, and the defense had filed a motion to dismiss. However, that was a moot effort because of a proposed resolution between the defense and prosecution.
The judge inquired, “Are we going to resolve Mr. Barfield separate from his co-defendants?”
The DA responded, “Yes. The proposed disposition judge would be that the defendant, Mr. Barfield, would plead guilty or no contest to count one, that’s a violation of 245(a)(4) of the Penal Code, committing force likely to cause great bodily injury…The agreement is that he would receive a low term of two years. He would have his strike prior which would double that, so the total state prison commitment would be four years.”
DA Carr pointed to a past crime of robbery in 2011 and other violent crimes which explained the strike on the defendant’s record.
Ultimately, defendant Barfield pleaded no contest to violating Penal Code §245(a)(4).
Defense attorney Stone requested that formal judgment and sentencing be conducted on Jan. 14, 2021.
Madison Forwood is a fourth year poli sci and history student at UC DAVIS. Her hobbies include reading and taking care of her German Shepard
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