Bryan Kohberger seeks judge’s removal in escalating bid to undo guilty plea

Bryan Kohberger, convicted of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students, has hired a new attorney who filed motions seeking to disqualify the judge and change the venue for post-conviction proceedings. Kohberger claims he is innocent and that his defense team coerced him into a false confession, despite having pleaded guilty to murder and burglary charges.

• Bryan Kohberger, convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary, is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea.
• His new attorney, Gregory Rauch, filed motions to disqualify Fourth Judicial District Judge Steven Hippler and change the venue from Ada County.
• Kohberger claims he is innocent and blames his former defense team for pressuring him into a false confession.
• The motion to disqualify Judge Hippler cites concerns about his impartiality, referencing statements made during sentencing where the judge questioned Kohberger’s credibility and called him a “faceless coward.”
• The defense argues that the trial schedule made it impossible to adequately prepare, potentially violating Kohberger’s right to effective representation.
• The venue change request argues that moving the hearings to Latah County, where the murders occurred, would serve the convenience of witnesses and promote justice.