Man charged in bar shooting pleads guilty to lesser charge

A Cedar Rapids man initially charged with attempted murder has pleaded guilty to a lesser offense.

Bernard Butler II, 18, of Cedar Rapids, who was accused of shooting Cortez Parker, 34, of Iowa City, in the abdomen at the now closed Los Cocos Bar Aug. 9., pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon to going armed with intent and intimidation with a dangerous weapon - two class D felonies.

As part of the plea agreement between Butler's attorney, Thomas Diehl, and assistant Johnson County Attorney Deborah Minot, Butler admitted to threatening to shoot Parker, but not actually shooting him, in order to be sentenced to supervised probation.

If a judge accepts the terms of the plea agreement during a sentencing hearing - which may be as soon as next week - he will serve no jail time but instead be placed at a Hope House.

The attempted murder charge could have resulted in up to 25 years in jail for Butler, but instead the plea bargain may result in sentences for the two offenses to not exceed five years and be served consecutively and be suspended.

Butler was also originally charged with reckless use of a firearm with serious injury and carrying weapons.