A new defense attorney has been appointed for Ray Tate as he tries to withdraw his guilty plea to charges related to his capture in Clinton County after murdering Wayne County Deputy Sean Riley.
In October of last year, Tate entered a guilty plea to numerous charges, including aggravated kidnapping and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. That’s on top of the life sentence he is serving from the Wayne County murder conviction.
Barely a month later, Tate filed a handwritten motion to withdraw his guilty plea in Clinton County. Last week, a Clinton County judge appointed Tate a new lawyer to handle his Clinton County petition.
The new attorney, Van-Lear P. Eckert of Belleville has filed an amended and more formal petition to withdraw the guilty plea for Tate. In the two-page filing, Eckert alleges that Tate’s public defender Stewart Freeman provided inadequate representation. Eckert also alleges Tate’s guilty plea was the result of coercion.
The motion will be heard during a status hearing in Clinton County on March 26th via video.
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