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"9th Circuit Says Judge Botched Murder-for-Hire Trial"

"9th Circuit Says Judge Botched Murder-for-Hire Trial": Dan Levine of The Recorder has an article that begins, "The judicial careers of Richard Tallman and William Fletcher are uniquely intertwined. But the next time they're in the same room, best not bring up the 'fed-a-pult' guy. The two judges ascended to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals together, part of a deal whereby President Bill Clinton got Fletcher, his relatively liberal buddy from his Oxford University days, seated on the court, in exchange for choosing a conservative. Fletcher landed on a panel reviewing a bizarre 2005 murder solicitation trial in Idaho, which Tallman had presided over by designation. And in a 72-page opinion released Friday, Fletcher found Tallman erred when he denied defendant David Hinkson a new trial despite evidence the government's key witness had committed perjury."

The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington reports today that "Court reverses businessman's conviction; New trial ordered on murder solicitation charges."

Metropolitan News-Enterprise reports that "Court Orders New Trial After Witness Lies About Combat Experience."

And The Associated Press reports that "Court overturns conviction of N. Idaho businessman."

My earlier coverage of Friday's Ninth Circuit ruling appears at this link.

Full post as published by How Appealing on June 03, 2008 (boomark / email).