US EditionJudge to hear arguments as the man convicted of killing Laken Riley seeks a new trial
Defense lawyers argue constitutional and evidentiary errors, including withheld data and disputed DNA evidence, justify vacating Jose Ibarra's life sentence and granting a new trial.
- On Friday, Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard will hear arguments on Jose Ibarra's request for a new trial when he appears in court.
- New lawyers have filed an amended motion earlier this month after Ibarra's original trial attorneys moved within weeks of the November 2024 conviction.
- Defense attorneys challenge the admission of cellphone evidence, contest that warrants lacked probable cause, and seek exclusion of TrueAllele Casework testimony, claiming procedural violations.
- The defense asks that the guilty verdict and life sentence be vacated, noting the motion for new trial affects the 30-day appeal notice requirement under Georgia law.
- Ibarra's immigration history and Riley's student status add broader context as Riley's killing heightened immigration debate and inspired the Laken Riley Act last year; Ibarra, 28, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 while Riley studied nursing at Augusta University in Athens, Georgia.
58 Articles
58 Articles
Judge hears testimony from DNA expert as man convicted of killing Laken Riley seeks new trial
A judge considering whether to grant a new trial to the Venezuelan man convicted of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley heard testimony Friday from a DNA expert retained by his attorneys to analyze evidence in his murder case.
Laken Riley murder: Jose Ibarra requests new trial, motion hearing expected today
The man convicted of killing nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus is expected to appear in court. A judge will hear Jose Ibarra’s attorneys’ motion for a new trial.
Laken Riley’s killer Jose Ibarra returns to court as illegal immigrant requests new trial in student’s murder
Jose Ibarra, convicted of murdering nursing student Laken Riley, seeks new trial in case that fueled national immigration debate and led to federal Laken Riley Act
Laken Riley Case Returns To Court As Killer Seeks New Trial
Illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra was found guilty in 2024 of the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley — but Friday could mark the beginning of a new trial for the convicted killer. On Friday, a judge will hear oral arguments from Ibarra’s attorneys claiming that their client suffers from a “congenital deficiency” that could make him “incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial.” They also contend he lacked the mental capacity to kn…
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