The Kansas Supreme Court dominated that state Rep. Carl Maughan of Colwich violated skilled requirements whereas representing 57-year-old Bret Blevins in a 2016 crash that killed two males, in accordance with the Kansas City Star. The court docket dominated that Maughan’s actions positioned “an undue burden on sources of the felony justice system,” the newspaper reported.
Maughan didn’t reply instantly to an e mail from The Associated Press on Sunday nor did he reply a telephone name from the newspaper Friday. He had beforehand defended the way in which he dealt with the Blevins case though Blevins is now suing Maughan over it.
AP Photo/John Hanna
The conflicts of curiosity within the case got here up as a result of Maughan had beforehand represented Blevins’ girlfriend, Tammy Akers, in DUI instances and he accepted $30,000 from Akers and her husband to defend Blevins.
Akers and Blevins had been the one occupants of the automobile that struck and killed the 2 males in a van. Akers served as a key witness on the trial the place Maughan blamed Akers for the crash and advised she was the motive force.
The Supreme Court dominated that conflict-of-interest waivers Maughan had Blevins and Akers signal did not adequately deal with the state of affairs or absolutely inform them of the implications.
Ultimately, Blevins was sentenced to greater than 60 years in jail in 2017 after he was convicted of two counts of second-degree homicide. Blevins had already been below probation for allegedly stealing a 6-foot-tall bronze eagle statue from a Boy Scouts of America council constructing in Wichita, CBS affiliate WIBW reported.
But the Kansas Court of Appeals dominated 4 years later that he deserved a brand new trial due to Maughan’s conflicts of curiosity. He then pleaded responsible to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to greater than 13 years in jail.
Maughan introduced final month that he would drop out of the race for his House seat, however his identify will nonetheless be on the first poll alongside three different Republicans as a result of he missed the deadline to withdraw it.
He is dealing with two misdemeanors and two site visitors violations after a site visitors cease in Topeka in March. He was charged with possession of a firearm whereas below the affect, DUI, failure to sign a lane change and failure to take care of secure passage from a single lane.
Maughan stepped down from his function as vice chair of House Judiciary after he was arrested, WIBW reported.
His legal professional within the Topeka case did not instantly reply to an e mail Sunday.
