Attempted murder trial canceled as Douglas is sentenced to two years of probation as part of plea agreement

QUINCY — A Quincy man who was just days away from a trial for an attempted first-degree murder charge for ramming his vehicle into a vehicle driven by his estranged wife has pled guilty to a lesser charge and has been sentenced to two years of probation.

Carl E. Douglas II, 48, appeared Wednesday morning with Chief Public Defender Jonathan Hoover in Adams County Circuit Court before Judge Frank McCartney. He pled guilty to aggravated attempted domestic battery, a Class 3 felony that is punishable for between two and five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

As part of Douglas’ plea agreement, charges of attempted first-degree murder, a Class X felony, and aggravated assault, a Class 4 felony, were dismissed.

Hoover and Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck both told Judge Michael Atterberry during a Nov. 23 pretrial hearing that they were ready for the trial that was expected to begin Dec. 3. Keck said during that hearing that a plea offer had been extended to Douglas.

However, things changed as she prepared for the trial.

“We received new information that made us believe that we would not be able to proceed on the attempted first-degree murder,” she said. “In light of that, we thought the jury would likely find him guilty of was attempted aggravated domestic battery. Even if he received the full five years, he would have served at 50 percent credit and spent probably a year and a half in prison. The thought was that the probation is actually longer, and (if he violates probation) he can still be revoked and sentenced to prison.

“Our job always is to evaluate the case and to do justice based on what we think we can prove or not prove. If we don’t think we can prove a count, we’re not going to proceed on that.”

Douglas also was given credit for serving 95 days in the Adams County Jail.

Douglas allegedly rammed his Tesla several times into a vehicle driven by Katherine Douglas on July 14. He was charged on July 22 with aggravated assault and granted pretrial release. 

Further investigation into the July 14 incident discovered additional information leading to the attempted first-degree murder charge for Douglas. Evidence in police reports obtained from the Tesla showed Douglas struck his wife’s vehicle while it was going 88 miles per hour, the accelerator was pressed at 100 percent, and he did not brake.

Douglas was taken into custody at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport by Homeland Security and the Customs and Border Patrol when he disembarked a plane on Aug. 28 after returning from a trip to another country. He had been in the Adams County Jail since Circuit Court Judge Christopher Pratt denied pretrial release during a Sept. 13 hearing.