Former Syracuse football player Naesean Howard’s court date has been set for Feb. 21, 2017.

He is charged with assault in the first degree in connection to the stabbing of former SU teammates Chauncey Scissum and Corey Winfield.

Howard will have another pre-trial hearing on Dec. 16.

These dates were set by Judge Anthony Aloi at a pre-trial hearing Friday morning.

Plea negotiations are ongoing between Assistant District Attorney Michael Manfredi and Howard’s defense counsel Ralph Cognetti, Manfredi said. Howard is currently in custody and bail has not been set.

Howard allegedly stabbed Scissum and Winfield at a South Campus party in April. The first-degree assault charge he’s facing is punishable between five and 25 years in prison.

Manfredi said based on the severity of the injuries, he’s leaning toward the punishment being “on the higher end of the scale.” Manfredi said he thinks Aloi is leaning “toward the lower end” of the scale.

Aloi will hear the December pre-trial hearing but will be reassigned by the end of the year and a visiting judge from Oneida will then hear the case.

Scissum was stabbed in his neck, upper chest, shoulder and lip while Winfield was stabbed in the lower back, abdomen and wrist, police said. Manfredi said Scissum’s lung re-collapsed after the initial injuries and he had to be re-hospitalized. Manfredi said he views Scissum as having “serious physical injuries,” rather than “physical injuries,” a distinction that alters how much time Howard would have to potentially spend in jail.

Cognetti said he’s looking into whether concussions suffered while playing football factored into Howard’s decision-making. Cognetti said he’s working with Howard’s father to compile tapes of Howard playing football.

Howard was dismissed from the SU football team in 2014 while Scissum and Winfield have both played for the Orange this season.

Published on November 18, 2016 at 11:34 am

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds