STAFFORD, Va. (AP) - Stafford Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Olsen has decided to not seek a retrial of a man whose 2007 rape conviction was vacated by a judge.
The Free Lance-Star (https://bit.ly/1hyk1qC ) reports that Olsen notified Edgar Coke’s lawyers about his decision in a letter. Olsen says he was told the Virginia Attorney General’s Office won’t appeal the ruling by Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Jane Marum Roush.
Roush’s Feb. 10 ruling says Coker’s original defense wasn’t “reasonably competent.” The Supreme Court of Virginia appointed Roush to preside over the case.
Coker was 15 when he was accused of raping a 14-year-old girl. Coker’s lawyers say the Mineral resident pleaded guilty to rape and breaking and entering after a prosecutor said he would try Coker as an adult and seek a lengthy prison sentence.
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Information from: The Free Lance-Star, https://www.fredericksburg.com/
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