ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey’s top court has ordered a new hearing for a convicted murderer who wants a new trial.
Fedner Pierre-Louis contends his attorney mishandled his trial by failing to adequately investigate his case and not pursuing a defense that claimed he had an alibi.
The Star-Ledger () reports a state Superior Court judge initially granted a new trial, but later reversed himself. An appellate judge also rejected the request for a new trial.
But in a unanimous ruling issued Monday, the state Supreme Court said the lower courts didn’t have enough information when they considered the case.
Pierre-Louis was convicted of felony murder and other charges in the March 2002 shooting death of Jeffrey Perchick, a 55-year-old oncologist from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. who was killed outside a hotel in Elizabeth.
He’s now serving a 45-year sentence.
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Information from: The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger, https://www.nj.com
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