RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesIn an order outlining how Bryan Kohberger's attempt to withdraw his guilty plea will play out in court, Idaho Judge Steven Hippler revealed that the hearings scheduled this week for June 2027 are not set in stone as he set a number of deadlines in coming months and told the sides what he expects of them.
"If an evidentiary hearing is granted, it shall be set to commence on June 17, 2027, at 9:00 a.m.," he wrote.
Prosecutors have asked him not to grant a hearing, describing Kohberger's claims as "bare, conclusory and unsupported by admissible evidence."
Kohberger, 31, last year pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and a felony burglary charge for the 2022 stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
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In a motion filed Tuesday, Deputy Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Keith Scholl asked for a transcript of Kohberger's July 2, 2025, change of plea hearing, in which Kohberger's own words could be used to rebut the new claims in his petition.
Kohberger, in a handwritten petition filed in July , is claiming he had ineffective counsel, that his guilty plea was "not knowingly or voluntarily entered because it was induced by unkept promises" and that it was "not voluntarily entered because of threats asserted by petitioner's (Kohberger's) legal counsel."
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But in 2025, Kohberger checked "no" when asked whether an attorney or anyone else had forced or coerced him into accepting the plea agreement or made other promises that influenced his decision.
He affirmed that there was nothing going on in his life that would impair his ability to enter his guilty plea voluntarily, and there was no reason he couldn't make a "reasoned and informed decision" when he did so.
Scholl asked Hippler to dismiss Kohberger's petition outright.
"The petition fails to raise a genuine issue of material fact, and respondent is entitled to judgment as a matter of law," he wrote.
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He added that Kohberger could have raised his claims of constitutional violations in an appeal — while the plea agreement itself says he waived his appellate rights . He said Kohberger's petition included no facts to support his claim that he had ineffective counsel and wrote that Kohberger's "freestanding claim of actual innocence" is unrecognized under the law.
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Lastly, he wrote, Kohberger's defense team wasn't obligated to explain "the conditions of prison life or what the incarceration would practically entail as collateral consequences of a guilty plea."
Hippler set the following dates over the next few months for deadlines in the case:
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He gave Kohberger until Nov. 13 — four years to the day after the murders — to file an amended petition. The state has 14 days to file a new answer once one is filed, or 14 days from the deadline if Kohberger doesn't file one.
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Kohberger must disclose witnesses, expert reports and opinions by Feb. 1, 2027.
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The state's rebuttal expert disclosures are due on March 1, 2027.
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Discovery requests have to be completed by May 7, 2027.
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Then a status conference and evidentiary hearing have been tentatively scheduled for June 3, 2027, and June 17, 2027, respectively.
The sides have 14 days from the order, made public Wednesday, to ask for any alterations to the schedule. Potentially, Hippler could grant an earlier hearing to resolve scheduling disagreements.
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