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Man convicted of killing police chief seeks new trial

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May 1, 2008

WORCESTER, Mass.—A man convicted of killing a Paxton police chief wants a new trial after suggesting his ex-lawyer may have owed a favor to the State Police.

Michael Souza is serving a life sentence for the February 1994 shooting death of Police Chief Robert Mortell. State police led the investigation that led to Souza's arrest.

Souza told a Superior Court judge Wednesday that he had not been aware during his trial that his attorney, Michael Hussey, had been taken into custody by state police in March 1994 on suspicion of drunken driving.

Souza claimed he obtained internal documents showing that when Hussey was released without charges being filed, he was told to "go easy" on state police in court.

Assistant District Attorney Ellyn Lazar-Moore said there's no evidence to suggest Hussey had a conflict of interest.

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Information from: Telegram & Gazette, http://www.telegram.com

© Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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