Circuit Judge Mark Jones on Friday suggested to suspended Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo that he talk to prosecutors about making a plea agreement.

The judge said he called Acevedo's attorney, Catherine Vogel, to ensure Acevedo's appearance in court Friday because he wanted to hear from him whether he'd been offered a plea deal.

"I wanted to discern if any plea negotiations have taken place," Jones said. "The magnitude of the charges, if you're found guilty, you could be adjudicated a felon, you could face incarceration. I wanted to be sure you were aware of all that and it's important to hear from you."

Acevedo said he understood what was at stake.

The judge asked Assistant State Attorney Mark Wilson whether he had approached Vogel about a plea agreement and vice versa. Wilson said no one from the defense had approached him about a deal.

"Well, I ask myself as a judge, there are resolutions ... sometimes there are bargains that can be made to avoid being incarcerated, to avoid felony adjudication. This case is moving extremely rapidly. If I could facilitate resolution of this, I would not forego that possibility."

On her way out of the courtroom, Vogel said she'd entertain a plea bargain if "the state were to drop all charges" but would not say more.

The discussion came at a hearing to decide which of former Adult Education Coordinator Monique Acevedo's credit card receipts prosecutors can admit as evidence in her husband's trial, which begins at 8:45 a.m. Monday.

Vogel wanted the judge to limit it to only the packet of receipts Finance Director Kathy Reitzel handed Randy Acevedo on Feb. 12, but Jones ruled that prosecutors can include receipts from Oct. 26, 2007, her first-discovered questionable purchase, to March 3, the day Monique Acevedo resigned.

Vogel made another attempt to get them tossed, arguing that she was not notified that prosecutors would use those receipts as evidence, and that Wilson should have included them in his discovery long before Friday. The judge will rule on her request after a fuller hearing on the matter before jury selection on Monday.

jguerra@keysnews.com