Retrial Begins for Man Who Shot Ex-Saints Star in 2016

Cardell Hayes Insists Shooting Was in Self-Defense; Previous Conviction Reversed Due to Supreme Court Ruling

Cardell Hayes, 36, is being retried for the fatal shooting of retired New Orleans Saints star Will Smith in 2016, which he insists was in self-defense.
Hayes was previously convicted of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter, but the conviction was reversed after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that such convictions must be unanimous; the original jury vote was 10-2.
Hayes served more than four years of a 25-year sentence before being released on bond following the reversal of his conviction.
Hayes claimed that he fired at Smith, who was intoxicated at the time, because he believed Smith had retrieved a gun from his SUV, but there was no witness or forensic evidence to support this claim.
The retrial has been delayed multiple times for various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic.