MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - A judge has rejected a request to set aside a guilty plea from a New Hampshire man who is serving a 30-year prison sentence for killing a friend.
Arthur Collins, of Manchester, was arrested in May 2012 - almost 11 years after the body of 50-year-old George Jodoin was discovered in his bed at his Auburn home on Dec. 26, 2001. He had been shot several times in the head.
Collins pleaded guilty in 2015 to second-degree murder. WMUR-TV reports in asking that his plea be set aside, Collins said his defense lawyers at the time weren’t working for him and refused to let him see the evidence against him. He said his guilty plea was a mistake.
Associate Attorney General Jeff Strelzin said Collins confessed on three occasions. He said there is no requirement that defense lawyers have to physically show their client the discovery evidence. Strelzin also said Collins failed to cite anything that would suggest he’s innocent.
The judge on Wednesday denied Collins’ motion, saying in part that Collins failed to prove his plea was not voluntary or intelligently made.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.