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POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- The Poughkeepsie teacher accused of stabbing her co-worker, faces three and a half years in prison after taking a plea deal in court on Friday. According to attorney Gary Greenwald, Ronette Ricketts, 40, pleads guilty to a reduced charge of first degree attempted manslaughter.

Greenwald said her initial charge was attempted murder. Police said Ricketts stabbed her co-worker approximately 16 times with a screw driver in December of 2011. Following the incident, Rickett's actions were due to a mental illness.

"We had the strongest psychiatric defense in my career. You're talking about a highly respected teacher, walking down a hallway with a colleague and a friend, and out of right field for no reason, stabbing her a multitude of times. The stressors were off the charts in regard to her. She had paranoid delusions," said Greenwald.

Ricketts will be sentenced on January 3rd.