Bryan Kohberger Requests Judge's Removal and Change of Venue in Post-Conviction Proceedings

<p>Bryan Kohberger, who was convicted of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students, has filed motions to disqualify the judge in his case and to change the venue as he seeks to withdraw his guilty plea. The motions were submitted on Thursday by Kohberger's new court-appointed attorney, Gregory Rauch, following his conviction for first-degree murder.</p><p>Kohberger has asserted his innocence and claims that his previous defense team led him to make a false confession. The motions request that Fourth Judicial District Judge Steven Hippler be removed from Kohberger's post-conviction proceedings and that the hearings be moved out of Ada County. The disqualification motion questions Hippler's impartiality.</p><p>The motion states, "This motion does not rest upon one adverse ruling, one harsh statement, or the mere fact that the judge who presided over Bryan Kohberger’s criminal case has been assigned to his post-conviction proceeding. It rests upon the extraordinary convergence of all of them."</p><p>Kohberger's original criminal trial was relocated to Ada County in 2024 to ensure an impartial jury and adequate resources, but his lawyers argue that these concerns do not apply to a bench proceeding decided solely by a judge.</p><p>Kohberger, 31, pleaded guilty last year to four counts of first-degree murder and a felony burglary charge related to the 2022 stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. He is now requesting a trial despite the possibility of facing the death penalty.</p><p>The motion to remove the judge is based on the "constitutional adequacy" of the trial counsel's preparation. The defense has argued that the capital trial schedule hindered their ability to review the extensive evidence in the case. They cautioned that proceeding to trial under these conditions could violate Kohberger’s constitutional right to effective representation. Judge Hippler previously rejected these claims, suggesting that the defense was using the volume of discovery as a delay tactic.</p><p>The motion also references Hippler's comments during sentencing regarding Kohberger's credibility, including a statement questioning Kohberger's ability to tell the truth. The judge referred to Kohberger as a "faceless coward" and described him as "the worst of the worst." The motion argues that these statements reflect forward-looking judgments about Kohberger's credibility, which may be central to the current proceedings.</p><p>Additionally, the motion to change the venue seeks to move the proceedings from Ada County, where Kohberger was sentenced, to Latah County, where the murders took place. The motion states, "Transfer is warranted in a case like this where ‘the convenience of witnesses and the ends of justice would be promoted by the change.’"</p>