Kentucky judge must consider request to withdraw guilty plea

MIDDLESBORO, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky judge with a history of errors involving a defendant’s right to a fair trial has been ordered to reconsider his actions last year against a man who claimed not to have seen key evidence in his case. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports James Burchfield was arrested in 2017 and pleaded guilty to driving under the influence. Only later did he learn that a blood test had failed to show proof of intoxication. A Bell Circuit Court judge denied Burchfield’s request to withdraw the guilty plea and sentenced him anyway. On Friday, the Kentucky Court of Appeals ordered the judge to vacate his final judgment and reconsider Burchfield’s request.