A case that was supposed to be decided in a trial in Jefferson County this week might not need one after all, thanks to an agreement to consider a plea deal half a day before the trial was scheduled to start.

Cameron May, a 56-year-old Fairbury resident, has a previous felony conviction on his record and was arrested in November 2023 and charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a Class 1D felony. May sent videos and photos of him holding various guns in his Fairbury residence to his daughter, who reported him to police, along with an advisement that May had been threatening violence against the woman who manages the "special needs trust" through which May receives funds to pay for his daily expenses.

A lot has happened since November 2023. May has protested his charge multiple times and this year formally asked for the case to be dismissed. The defense has cited other legal cases from across the country, claiming they have established that the general consensus towards individuals - and specifically former felons - owning firearms has recently become more lenient. In other words, May's camp has argued that the state of Nebraska's case against him is unconstitutional. 

The prosecution and the Jefferson County District Court did not come to the same conclusions when reviewing the other cases that May cited, some of which were filed in handwritten messages to his opponents. Specifically, Judge David Bargen said that since May is challenging the constitutionality of the charge, he should have filed a motion to quash the charge rather than dismiss it - Bargen denied May's motion to dismiss on July 16, and proceeded with plans for a jury trial this week.

But now, that trial isn't happening. This week's trial date was the third one placed on the calendar this year alone, following previous trial dates in January and June, and now they've all been postponed. The latest jury trial was supposed to begin 9 AM Tuesday, but court officials in Jefferson County were informed around 4 PM Monday that a plea deal is on the table in the case. Everyone that was in line for jury selection the next morning had to be called and informed the trial was no longer happening.

No word yet on which side initiated the agreement, or what the deal will entail. There was previously a plea deal in consideration in the month of May before the defendant filed his latest attempt to have the case dismissed. May is now due for a hearing on that plea deal on August 7, which might ultimately resolve this two-year-long gun possession case without need for a trial.