Bryan Kohberger Wants to Withdraw Guilty Plea in Murder of Idaho College Students
“ineffective assistance of counsel during criminal proceedings”
He is trying to claim that he had ineffective counsel. Will it work?
ABC News reports:
Bryan Kohberger seeks to withdraw guilty plea in University of Idaho murders: Court documents
Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty last year to the University of Idaho murders, has filed a petition to withdraw his guilty plea and challenge his conviction, according to new court documents.
Kohberger filed a petition on Monday for post-conviction relief with the Ada County District Court. He is currently representing himself, according to the docket.
Kohberger is claiming in his petition that he pleaded guilty due to bad legal advice and “false promises.”
In the petition, Kohberger said he had “ineffective assistance of counsel during criminal proceedings” and was “convinced to falsely confess.” He claims his lawyers told him to give a “false plea.”
Kohberger was arrested for the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students — roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin — at the girls’ off-campus house in 2022.
DNA from a knife sheath left at the crime scene was found to be a “statistical match” to Kohberger, authorities said. Kohberger’s phone was also near the victims’ house at least 12 times before the murders, court documents said, with all of those times, except for one, late at night or early in the morning.
The family of victim Kaylee Goncalves said in a statement Monday that Kohberger admitted his guilt in his plea and “chose not to leave his fate — or the facts of the case — to a jury.”
“We would have preferred a death-penalty trial; we believe fully in the evidence,” the family said. “Instead, [Kohberger] received exactly what he asked for: a deal that spared his life. Know this — he hates that life. He wants another chance to roll the dice.”
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Comments
Normally, when you get a plea deal, you give up the right to appeal. In a way it’s too bad. It would be hilarious to see this clown try to defend himself in a real trial!
You can’t waive the right to effective assistance of counsel in deciding whether to accept a deal, because that very counsel is the one advising you to execute the waiver!
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