Bochum (dpa / lnw) – Because the public defender was not licensed, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) overturned a judgment by the Bochum Regional Court in criminal proceedings. After a lengthy trial in December 2021, the court had sentenced an accused to nine and a half years in prison. He was convicted of, among other things, robbery, theft and attempted incitement to make false statements. However, at the time his defense counsel, who was present at the verdict, was no longer licensed to practice law. The BGH therefore referred the case back to the district court for a new hearing. The “WAZ” reported.
According to information from the district court, the man is still in custody. The process was complex at the time. After seven days of negotiations, he was stopped due to illness. After another ten days of trial, the verdict was issued on December 10, 2021. The district court had heard 44 witnesses. The lawyer had not been admitted since December 2nd, the Federal Court of Justice called him a “sham defense attorney”. The court’s decision shows that the appeal goes back to another public defender.
