Raikuez Melchoirre waits for proceedings to begin at Androscoggin County Supeior Court in Auburn on Friday. Melchoirre was granted a motion for a new lawyer Friday.
AUBURN — Raikuez Melchoirre, who pleaded guilty to a June 2011 stabbing, was granted a new lawyer Friday.
Raikuez Melchoirre appears in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn on Friday. Melchoirre was granted a motion for a new lawyer Friday.
Attorney George Hess told Justice Robert W. Clifford in Androscoggin County Superior Court on Friday that communication with his client, Raikuez Melchoirre, had broken down. Melchoirre was granted a motion for a new lawyer.
But it won't happen again, Justice Robert W. Clifford warned during the hearing at Androscoggin County Superior Court.
Clifford told Melchoirre, who is awaiting sentencing for elevated aggravated assault, that he'd better get along with his new lawyer, his third.
"This is it," Clifford said. "You're not going to have any more. This case has been around a while."
On June 19, 2011, Melchoirre, then 34, was drinking at a College Street apartment. During earlier court proceedings, prosecutors said a fight broke out after someone poured beer on another man, Richard "Buddy" Edwards Jr.
The men argued and threw punches. During the fight, Melchoirre pulled a knife and stabbed Edwards more than 20 times in the chest, side and neck, according to the earlier proceedings.
In August 2011, a grand jury indicted Melchoirre on the elevated aggravated assault charge, and he pleaded not guilty.
About 10 months ago, he and his then-attorney Henry Griffin said that communication between them had broken down. The court appointed attorney George Hess to take over Melchoirre's representation.
In March, Mechoirre entered his guilty plea, a hybrid called an "Alford plea" that allowed him to maintain his innocence while acknowledging that the state had enough evidence to make its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
In August, Melchoirre tried and failed to reverse his plea.
Hess argued that Melchoirre should be allowed to withdraw his plea because he had been confused and misunderstood the process at the time he entered his plea.
On Friday, Hess and Melchoirre said communication between them was failing. Clifford agreed to the motion. He also described Hess and Griffin as "very fine lawyers."
Clifford said he wanted the case to be concluded and said no further delays will be permitted.
"There's a pattern developing here that's not going to be repeated," he said.
Melchoirre faces up to 30 years in prison.
He is being held at the Androscoggin County Jail on $7,000 cash bail.
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Justice grants stabber's bid for new lawyer
Dan 12.29.12 11 am - ish HST Saturday ≠
He did it . He admits it √
http://www.iciclesoftware.com/LawJokes/IcicleLawJokes.html
/s , Steve , former U S Federal Ombudsman •
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Let's hope the new lawyer earns his fee's, and see's this guy get the thirty years he deserves. I get so tired of hearing about these totally senseless incidents. Stabbing someone over spilling beer? If that was the rule, I never would have seen my twenty third birthday.....
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