HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a Hutchinson man who was convicted of first degree felony murder after he shot a man during a 2015 drug deal.
The court held that allowing attorneys for Brennan Trass to withdraw shortly before his 2019 trial and having him represent himself with assistance was a violation of his Sixth Amendment right to counsel.
The court did conclude that the district court did not violate Trass' statutory right to a speedy trial and the evidence was sufficient to support Trass' felony-murder conviction, but the case still needs to be tried again.
The court held that a criminal defendant in Kansas can forfeit the right to counsel through misconduct, but that Trass did not do so in his case specifically.
The court specifically asked that the retrial be before a different judge.