NORWICH – A judge refused to accept a prearranged plea deal Thursday in a case involving an 85-year-old man charged with resisting arrest.

Public Defender Kayphet Mavady appeared in city court without his client and told Judge James Downey it was because he had fallen “seriously ill, I think mostly due to his age” and was unable to attend.

John Currie, 85, of Bainbridge, was arrested by the Norwich City Police Department at 11:47 p.m. Feb. 2, along Fair Street. Police said Currie refused to cooperate with a patrol attempting to pull him over for failing to keep right.

First Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee said prosecutors were willing to accept an Alford Plea to disorderly conduct, a violation.

An Alford Plea is a guilty plea in New York State in which a defendant pleads guilty to a crime without actually admitting they committed it, in effect saying they don’t believe they can prove their innocence with the evidence against them, but deny any actual wrongdoing.

Downey said he thought the agreement was a favorable one to the defendant and asked why the prosecution was offering it. Dunshee said due to Currie’s age, active employment and service as a combat veteran in the Korean War, the DA’s office decided to offer the deal.