Judge Criticizes Bryan Kohberger Defense for "Largely Irrelevant" Submissions
Update: 2024-12-02
Description
The defense team for Bryan Kohberger, the 29-year-old accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022, faced sharp criticism from the presiding judge after submitting more than 2,000 pages of exhibits that were deemed "largely irrelevant."
Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the fatal stabbings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus residence.
District Judge Steven Hippler issued a stern order regarding the defense’s motion for a Franks hearing. A Franks hearing examines whether an affidavit used to obtain a search warrant contains misleading or false information. If granted, the court will consider arguments from both sides before ruling on the motion.
However, Hippler noted significant issues with the defense's filing, which included 38 exhibits totaling over 2,000 pages.
"Unfortunately, Defendant's memorandum largely fails to identify with particularity the relevant portions of the exhibits, instead referring simply to the exhibit number without identifying the precise pages at issue," Hippler said. "Thus, the Court is left with the unenviable task of sifting through pages and pages of largely irrelevant documents to ascertain what portion Defendant may be referring to."
Hippler emphasized that it is not the court's responsibility to comb through voluminous filings for relevant information. "The court is not required to search the record looking for evidence," he added.
The defense has been ordered to resubmit its filings and exclude irrelevant portions, with a deadline set for Tuesday.
This critique comes on the heels of a separate dispute last week, in which the defense sought an extension for filing motions related to discovery. The deadline had been November 14, but the defense requested an extension the day before, citing the "vast amount of discovery" that still needed to be reviewed.
Judge Hippler rejected the request on November 15, stating that it lacked sufficient justification.
"Motions to enlarge deadline filed on the eve of the deadline are not well taken," Hippler wrote. "Defendant could have ascertained far sooner whether the discovery motions deadline would pose difficulty and brought it to the Court's attention."
He further criticized the defense for failing to demonstrate good cause for the delay. "Defendant has not set forth what efforts have been made to review the discovery, what portion of discovery has not yet been reviewed, why it has not been reviewed or how long it will take to complete such review," Hippler added.
With the defense now under strict orders to revise and resubmit their Franks hearing motion, the focus remains on how these procedural delays and criticisms will impact Kohberger’s legal strategy.
The case continues to attract widespread attention, with many watching closely for further developments in one of the most closely followed criminal cases in recent history.
#BryanKohberger #UniversityOfIdaho #FranksHearing #JudgeHippler #TrueCrime #LegalNews #MoscowIdaho
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Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the fatal stabbings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus residence.
District Judge Steven Hippler issued a stern order regarding the defense’s motion for a Franks hearing. A Franks hearing examines whether an affidavit used to obtain a search warrant contains misleading or false information. If granted, the court will consider arguments from both sides before ruling on the motion.
However, Hippler noted significant issues with the defense's filing, which included 38 exhibits totaling over 2,000 pages.
"Unfortunately, Defendant's memorandum largely fails to identify with particularity the relevant portions of the exhibits, instead referring simply to the exhibit number without identifying the precise pages at issue," Hippler said. "Thus, the Court is left with the unenviable task of sifting through pages and pages of largely irrelevant documents to ascertain what portion Defendant may be referring to."
Hippler emphasized that it is not the court's responsibility to comb through voluminous filings for relevant information. "The court is not required to search the record looking for evidence," he added.
The defense has been ordered to resubmit its filings and exclude irrelevant portions, with a deadline set for Tuesday.
This critique comes on the heels of a separate dispute last week, in which the defense sought an extension for filing motions related to discovery. The deadline had been November 14, but the defense requested an extension the day before, citing the "vast amount of discovery" that still needed to be reviewed.
Judge Hippler rejected the request on November 15, stating that it lacked sufficient justification.
"Motions to enlarge deadline filed on the eve of the deadline are not well taken," Hippler wrote. "Defendant could have ascertained far sooner whether the discovery motions deadline would pose difficulty and brought it to the Court's attention."
He further criticized the defense for failing to demonstrate good cause for the delay. "Defendant has not set forth what efforts have been made to review the discovery, what portion of discovery has not yet been reviewed, why it has not been reviewed or how long it will take to complete such review," Hippler added.
With the defense now under strict orders to revise and resubmit their Franks hearing motion, the focus remains on how these procedural delays and criticisms will impact Kohberger’s legal strategy.
The case continues to attract widespread attention, with many watching closely for further developments in one of the most closely followed criminal cases in recent history.
#BryanKohberger #UniversityOfIdaho #FranksHearing #JudgeHippler #TrueCrime #LegalNews #MoscowIdaho
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
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