New hearing for murder convicted priest

Ohio Catholic priest Father Gerald Robinson who was convicted of strangling and stabbing to death a nun will get a chance to overturn the verdict based on his claim that his constitutional rights to a fair trial were violated.

A judge set a hearing for later this month that will allow Father Robinson to argue that his trial lawyers were ineffective and that newly discovered 30-year-old police reports could have changed the outcome of the case, AJC reports.

Robinson was convicted in 2006 in the killing of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl a day before Easter in 1980. She had been stabbed 31 times in a Toledo hospital chapel where both of them worked.

He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

“I’m delighted that he’s been granted a hearing, and I think his claim to ineffective assistance of legal counsel is an important one,” said Rick Kerger, one of Robinson’s attorneys.

Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Gene Zmuda said this week that the discovery of 136 misfiled police reports two years ago warranted a hearing. Prosecutors have said the reports don’t contain anything that would help free Robinson.

SOURCE

Ohio convicted murderer priest gets new hearing (AJC)

PHOTO AND VIDEO

Fr. Robinson back in court (Fox Toledo/YouTube)