AP Photo/FOX, Michael Becker, FileStaring at a murder rap, the man who allegedly struck and killed former American Idol contestant Alexis Cohen may be ready to pull out the ol' blame-the-victim defense.
The lawyer for 24-year-old Daniel Bark says his client plans to plead not guilty across the board to charges of vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident and evading police from the weekend death of Cohen at the New Jersey shore.
The kicker? Attorney Daniel Glassman tells E! News Cohen may have been boozing it up right before she was killed.
"So far, the information that's been provided by the prosecutor's office has been all one-sided in respect to the allegations against my client," Glassman says. "There's no specifics on witnesses, where the victim was found, the nature of the impact of the car…and we don't know what the victim's physical condition was before the accident so it's a little premature to discuss."
Specifically, Glassman says his team is looking at the "mechanics" of the incident, which began when Bark allegedly struck a parked car with his 2005 Mitsubishi Galant and then ran down the 25-year-old Cohen while trying to flee from cops who had given chase.
He is looking at potentially mitigating factors such as what the lighting situation was like given the accident occurred at 4 a.m.; whether the Idol castoff's drinking at a local watering hole may have somehow contributed to the tragedy; and whether or not she accidentally stepped in front of his car.
While Glassman confirms Bark had a prior DUI dating back to 2004, the lawyer was quick to note that allegations his client had been intoxicated are "without substance of fact."
Glassman also notes that potential lawsuits are in the works. "There are three parallel investigations: one from prosecutors, two from civil attorneys with respect to the bars involved and our defense strategy in relation to the mechanics of how the accident happened."
On behalf of Bark, who's currently being held on a suicide watch in Ocean County Jail on $250,000 bail, Glassman expressed condolences to the victim's family, calling it a "horrible situation."
"[Bark's relatives] want to make sure the victim's family knows how sorry they are that their daughter was killed," he said.
If convicted, Bark could face up to 15 years in the slammer. An arraignment has not been scheduled but is likely to take place within the next two weeks.
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In happier American Idol alumni news, a wedding may be in the works for one of this year's also never-rans. Find out which fellow reality star is making an honest woman of her here.