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EDGARD — In September 2019, a St. John the Baptist Parish jury delivered a 10-2 verdict, finding Juan Ramos guilty of attempted manslaughter for his involvement in a 2018 machete attack that nearly claimed the life of Bryan Guillot of Montz.

A new trial for Ramos is underway this week at the Edgard courthouse. Non-unanimous convictions were ruled unconstitutional in 2020, when the landmark Ramos v. Louisiana case decided that a single juror’s vote to acquit is enough to prevent a conviction.

The maximum sentence for the crime of attempted manslaughter is 20 years with the Department of Corrections.

On August 6, 2018, Guillot was inside a LaPlace residence, talking to several individuals, when Ramos allegedly entered the trailer-home armed with a machete and immediately began to hack and slash at Guillot. Suffering several arterial lacerations, Guillot nearly died from his injuries. His life was likely saved by the actions of SJSO officers Shaquille Guerin, Jared Seruntine and Javonna Cordova utilizing their Stop the Bleed training on the scene.

During the 2019 trial, prosecutors showed the courtroom a video of the brutal attack that was allegedly recorded by Ramos using a cell phone.

With the previous conviction overturned, Ramos is innocent until proven guilty.