Keenya's - Appeal

 appeal from guilty plea 

 appeal - prosecutor brief

 appeal - decision

Note: I have not included all the attachments or exhibits that were filed with the above documents.

The Appeal Court denied Keenya's Appeal from Guilty Plea. 

By law, following a conviction, an indigent defendant is entitled to one "Appeal by Right" which means, they are given an attorney appointed by the Court. Afterwards, if a defendant/prisoner wants to make more legal filings, they must either find an attorney who will handle their case pro bono (for free) or, they must make the filings themselves (pro se).

The appeal was filed in January 1999 following her conviction and imprisonment 11 August 1998. It is worth noting that Judge Beth Whitmore who presided over her criminal case, won the election in November 1998 for a seat on the 9th District Court of Appeals and took her seat also in January 1999. The 9th District is also located in Akron, Ohio and also the same court which heard and denied Keenya's appeal.

Of course, Judge Whitmore could not rule on Keenya's appeal - no matter, the entire court was of the same Republican party.

Also in January 1999, Prosecutor Maureen O'Connor was installed as the Lt. Governor of Ohio (Republican). Attorney Michael Callahan was appointed Summit County Prosecutor by the Republican Party to fill the vacancy created when O'Connor became Lt. Govenor.

Attorney Reed who had represented Keenya in the Juvenile Court and Criminal cases, had himself replaced as Keenya's attorney in September 1998; the court then appointed attorney Susan Vogel who filed the Appeal.

Attorney Reed lost in the November 1998 election for a seat on the Akron City Council.

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