James Johnson pleads to accessory charge

WILSON, N.C. -- A man who spent three years in prison before prosecutors dropped a murder charge against him has pleaded no contest to an accessory charge. The Wilson Daily Times reported Monday that James Johnson issued an Alford plea in connection to the 2004 slaying of 17-year-old Brittany Willis. The Alford plea does not admit guilt but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to possibly win a conviction. A special prosecutor won an indictment last year against Johnson, accusing him of being an accessory after the fact of first-degree murder. Johnson was accused of helping clean the vehicle of Kenneth Meeks, who was convicted in the killing. Sentencing is scheduled for later Monday afternoon. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)