Prison inmate pleads guilty

A Nevada State Prison inmate pleaded guilty Monday to a felony count of resisting a public officer during a prison-yard brawl in which he reportedly stabbed another inmate.

Jake Presley, who is serving two concurrent five-year prison sentences for burglary and grand larceny, will likely serve an additional 12-30 months for a charge of resisting a public officer with the use of a dangerous weapon, a class D felony. The additional time will run concurrent to the two other sentences.

Presley was originally charged with counts of attempted murder and resisting a public officer for his part in the brawl. Monday's guilty plea was part of a deal with prosecutors that dropped the attempted murder charge.

During his hearing Monday, Presley said the other inmate had the knife first and, during the course of the fight, Presley was able to get possession of the knife and use it on his enemy. The fight was apparently stopped when guards in a watch tower fired warning shots.

Although the plea bargain allows Presley's new sentence to run concurrent to his previous 5-year sentences, it will hurt his chances at early release, said Glen Whorton, chief of classification and planning at the state prison.

"Given that kind of behavior, it's unlikely he'll get paroled," he said.

Presley, originally prosecuted in Washoe County, was sent to prison in 1996 and was scheduled for discharge in July of 2000.

Presley will be officially sentenced in district court Nov. 29.