Pubdate: Thu, 27 Apr 2006
Source: Traverse City Record-Eagle (MI)
Copyright: 2006 The Traverse City Record-Eagle
Contact:  http://www.record-eagle.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1336
Author: Craig McCool
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

PLEA EXPECTED IN DRUG DEATH CASE

PETOSKEY -- A man charged with second-degree murder in a drug 
overdose death last fall is expected to plead guilty today to 
attempted involuntary manslaughter, a five-year felony.

Kaven Turman, who admitted to supplying methadone to a Harbor Springs 
woman who overdosed last October, cut a deal with prosecutors to drop 
the murder charge, punishable by up to life in prison, said defense 
attorney Dan Hartman.

"I understand the authority on which the prosecutor relied" in make 
the murder charge, said Hartman, "but I disagree with the 
interpretation. I don't feel the second-degree murder charge was 
sustainable. I feel this is a fair (plea) agreement."

Numerous calls over the past week to the Emmet County Prosecutors 
office about the pending plea deal went unreturned.

Turman, 40, is likely prison-bound, Hartman said. The sentencing 
guidelines will call for a minimum sentence between one and two years, he said.

Katherine Daily died Oct. 30 of a methadone overdose. Hartman said 
Turman will plead guilty to attempted-involuntary manslaughter, along 
with one count of illegal-drug possession and one misdemeanor count 
of maintaining a drug house.

He will also plead guilty to unlawfully carrying an uncased firearm, 
a charge from an unrelated case, Hartman said.

Other charges, including the murder charge and three illegal drug 
distribution charges, will be dismissed, he said.

Court records Wednesday reflected no specifics of the agreement, only 
that a plea was set for Thursday morning. But the charges were 
modified recently to include attempted-involuntary manslaughter and 
drug possession.

Hartman said Turman maintains he gave Daily "four pills over the 
course of a week."

"My client has repeatedly expressed distress and remorse," he said. 
"He had a ... relationship with the girl and never meant any harm."