Darren Sharper, a former NFL star, has reinitiated the legal fight that landed him in jail. He and his legal team are attempting to have his 18-year sentence tossed out. A federal judge handed him this long stay as a result of his pleading guilty to rape and sexual assault.
Sharper's lawyer submitted a 50-page memorandum in efforts to compel the judge to rethink the sentence. The argument given to the district court of New Orleans says “he was not adequately advised by his trial lawyers on the consequences of his 2016 guilty plea.” The plea came after an original sentencing to 9 years in prison from a first plea deal.
His case received national attention given the magnitude of the charges he faced. The crimes involve 16 different women being drugged and rapped across 4 states; Nevada, California, Louisiana and Arizona. Sharper pleaded guilty to the charges as part of a plea deal that would have him serve 9 years for his crimes. A U.S. District Judge, Jane Triche Milazzo, ultimately upped the sentence to 18 years and 4 months.
During the trial, a victim's testimony expressed the severe residuals of his actions.
"I can only imagine myself lying there like a vegetable while he took advantage of my body without my permission. I have lost every bit of self-confidence I've ever had and am always in fear while alone. It doesn't matter whether it's day or night, I can see a guy and automatically in my head think, 'What if this guy tries to rape me?'"
[via]