THE CRIME: An injury, a subsequent drug addiction, and bad decisions ruined the life of former Villanova basketball star, NCAA champion, former NBA basketball player, and Ramsey County Probation Officer Howard Porter. But he did not deserve to be robbed and beaten to death by a pimp.
On May 18, 2007, Porter was trying to trade his crack cocaine and cash for sex with a Frogtown prostitute. Her pimp broke into her St. Paul apartment and beat Porter to death.
Rashad Arthur Raleigh first held Porter at gunpoint. Then he robbed and beat him unconscious with the gun and a chair. When Raleigh and the prostitute went out to examine Porter's car, they discovered that Porter was a Probation Officer. Fearful that Porter would identify him, Raleigh continued to beat Porter's head until Raleigh thought he was dead. Raleigh drove Porter to Minneapolis and dumped the body. Porter was later revived, but he died a week later.
Raleigh pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder in 2008. He agreed to accept a sentence of life without release. In return, prosecutors agreed to drop a felony homicide charge and to stop police investigation of Raleigh for a different triple homicide in Ramsey County. After his plea was accepted, Raleigh attempted to withdraw his plea without explanation. He was sentenced to life without release.
Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea upheld Raleigh's conviction and sentence. See here.
In 2010, the Supreme Court rejected Raleigh's two claims.
First the Supreme Court held that Raleigh failed to show his guilty plea to first-degree premeditated murder was invalid; thus, appellant is not entitled to withdraw his plea to correct a “manifest injustice” under the relevant Minnesota criminal statute.
Second the Supreme Court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Raleigh's motion to withdraw his guilty plea to first-degree premeditated murder because appellant failed to advance substantiated reasons why withdrawal was “fair and just” under the relevant Minnesota criminal statute.
On May 18, 2007, Porter was trying to trade his crack cocaine and cash for sex with a Frogtown prostitute. Her pimp broke into her St. Paul apartment and beat Porter to death.
Rashad Arthur Raleigh first held Porter at gunpoint. Then he robbed and beat him unconscious with the gun and a chair. When Raleigh and the prostitute went out to examine Porter's car, they discovered that Porter was a Probation Officer. Fearful that Porter would identify him, Raleigh continued to beat Porter's head until Raleigh thought he was dead. Raleigh drove Porter to Minneapolis and dumped the body. Porter was later revived, but he died a week later.
Raleigh pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder in 2008. He agreed to accept a sentence of life without release. In return, prosecutors agreed to drop a felony homicide charge and to stop police investigation of Raleigh for a different triple homicide in Ramsey County. After his plea was accepted, Raleigh attempted to withdraw his plea without explanation. He was sentenced to life without release.
Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea upheld Raleigh's conviction and sentence. See here.
In 2010, the Supreme Court rejected Raleigh's two claims.
First the Supreme Court held that Raleigh failed to show his guilty plea to first-degree premeditated murder was invalid; thus, appellant is not entitled to withdraw his plea to correct a “manifest injustice” under the relevant Minnesota criminal statute.
Second the Supreme Court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Raleigh's motion to withdraw his guilty plea to first-degree premeditated murder because appellant failed to advance substantiated reasons why withdrawal was “fair and just” under the relevant Minnesota criminal statute.
No comments:
Post a Comment