Wright was sentenced to three 10-years to life sentences in prison. In the ruling, Wall said the verdict by a jury would be set aside and Wright would receive a new trial. A bond hearing for Wright will be scheduled in her court. A date was not available t last week.
In the ruling, Wall found that “on a cumulative basis the trial counsel’s performance was deficient, and the deficient performance prejudiced the defendant. This means there is a reasonable probability that, absent errors (of counsel), the factfinder would had a reasonable doubt respecting guilty” on the following grounds: inadequate investigation and trial preparation; DNA evidence; and failure to consult and call a forensic cell phone expert. The counsel was Jay Lopez of Troy. He could not be reached immediately for comment.
Wright was sentenced in 2021. His lawyer after Lopez withdrew from the case in 2021 is Stephen Palmer of Columbus. He subsequently appealed Wright’s conviction to the 2nd District Court of Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court. The appeals court denied the appeal while the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.
Wright’s lawyer then filed the petition for post-conviction relief, which was considered by Wall and denied. That decision was appealed to the 2nd District Court of Appeals, which sent the case back to Common Pleas and ordered a hearing on testimony/statements from expert witnesses. Wright testified at that hearing in April, saying he was not familiar with the court process and relied on Lopez when he allegedly said expert testimony was not needed as part of his defense.
The prosecution now is represented by special prosecutors Andrea Boyd and Nicole Amrhein of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Miami County prosecutors last fall asked for appointment of special prosecutors, stating they wanted to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest by continuing participation in the case.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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