Kegan Kline may withdraw guilty plea; judge delays sentencing
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — When Kline entered his guilty plea in March, there were no guarantees from the prosecutor on how much time he would spend in prison, and as it turns out, no guarantees he would stick to the guilty plea.
Kegan Kline left the courtroom surrounded by sheriff’s deputies and a legal case spinning with uncertainty. Kline had agreed that today he would learn his prison sentence on 25 child-porn related charges. Instead, he suggested he may withdraw his guilty plea. The team of lawyers from the prosecutor’s office vehemently opposed any further delays in court and exited the courtroom in a fury.
“No comment today guys, thank you” said a member of the Miami County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Miami County Prosecutor’s Office would like to see Kline in prison for as long as possible by serving consecutive sentences, arguing in a court filing last week that his “crimes do not consist of a single episode of criminal conduct, but instead constitute several crimes of violence.”
When Kline entered his guilty plea in March, he told the judge he was “clearheaded” and understood the consequences of a guilty plea. Kline now claims he didn’t have time to review all the evidence and may withdraw his guilty plea
“Because of that, Kegan wants to have time to review it, and possibly withdraw his guilty plea. Of course, the prosecution very strongly took issue with that characterization.” said Kevin Greenlee, lawyer and co-founder of the podcast “Murder Sheet.”
During Thursday morning’s court session, Kline’s attorney seemed just as surprised by his clients’ statements. He said he was prepared to move forward with the sentencing hearing. The hearing was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Judging by the scurried movements of lawyers, police, and other court room staff at 9:15 a.m., it became very clear that the hearing would not go as planned. The prosecution team told the judge any delays were unacceptable
“They characterized this as a delaying tactic, and they believe that Kegan just wants to draw this out as long as possible” said Greenlee.
Neither the prosecution or Kline’s attorney would discuss what happened in court this morning. It is unclear if the judge will accept Kline’s attempt to withdraw his plea deal. In one week from today, all parties will be back in the courtroom for a status hearing, where some of these questions will be answered.