Rhode Island

Judge Vacates RI Murder Conviction, Faulting Defense, Police

The judge also found that Providence police conducted an illegal interview by continuing to question the man long after he had asked for an attorney

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A Rhode Island Superior Court judge has vacated the murder conviction of a man after finding that his trial attorney violated his rights by discouraging him from testifying that he stabbed a man in self-defense.

The Providence Journal reported Monday that in her decision overturning the second-degree murder conviction of Miguel Tebalan Rivera, Judge Netti C. Vogel also found that Providence police conducted an illegal interview by continuing to question Rivera long after he had asked for an attorney.

Rivera was sentenced to 60 years in prison after he was convicted of the December 2015 stabbing death of 36-year-old Julio Francisco Perez.

Rhode Island is one of several states across the country getting fewer doses of Pfizer’s vaccine than expected. Gov. Gina Raimondo said they were set to receive 11,000 doses next week, and now they’re only getting about 7,000.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
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