Man in stabbing case to serve 12 years

Clarification: The original version of this article was unclear. Isaiah Cho cooperated in the police investigation, and his count was reduced to disturbing the peace. Cho took a plea bargain to one count of disturbing the peace.

A 22-year-old man involved in the stabbing of two UCLA students in 2009 will serve 12 years in prison after reaching a plea bargain.

Phi Ly, who is not a UCLA student, was one of seven men who were arrested in connection to a stabbing at a Lambda Phi Epsilon party on 621 Midvale Ave. in September 2009.

Three of the arrested men were UCLA students, although two of them were released without charge. The third student, Isaiah Cho, was initially charged on a count of accessory to attempted murder. Cho cooperated in the police investigation, and his count was reduced to disturbing the peace, UCPD detective Selby Arsena said.

Cho took a plea bargain to one count of disturbing the peace and returned to UCLA for the rest of the academic year, Arsena said. Of the five men who were charged, four took pleas according to their legal advice, Arsena said.

Ly was the only one who decided to go to court. He was convicted on multiple counts, including mayhem and battery, Arsena said. He was acquitted of an attempted murder charge, and the jury reached a deadlock on the charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

Rather than appealing the decision and going to another trial, Ly decided to settle with a guilty plea.

The students who were stabbed were treated for injuries and released shortly after the incident.

Compiled by James Barragan, Bruin contributor.