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	Father Robinson Appeal WTVG March 17, 2008 http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6026327 WTVG — Fr. Robinson's attorney is fighting to have his conviction overturned, and the case went before the 6th District Court of Appeals today. The Father Gerald Robinson murder case was back in a courtroom today. His attorney is fighting to have his conviction overturned, and today both sides argued their cases before the 6th District Court of Appeals. There were more than 2 decades between the murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl and the conviction of Father Gerald Robinson, and that time lapse is one of the arguments presented here at the Court of Appeals today. Father Gerald Robinson was convicted in May 2006 of the 1980 murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl. Robinson's attorney believes an innocent man is behind bars. "I am confident justice will be done," says Defense Attorney John Donahue. The two sides had about 15 minutes to argue their cases today. "By the time we took this case to trial, we had almost overwhelming evidence. A lot of it was circumstantial, but sometimes that can be more compelling than direct evidence," says Prosecutor Dean Mandros. "We ask that you reverse this conviction. Not just because of constitutional errors , but because father Robinson is innocent," says Donahue. The defense argues that the time lapse between the murder and the arrest is one of the reason's to overturn the conviction. The prosecution disagrees. Bates emphasizes the appeals process is not a new trial. "It is no a re-evaluating of the jury decision. Our feeling, our basis is no," says Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates. The appeals court judges will review the transcript from the trial as well as the legal briefs, and issue a decision on the appeal. Probably within the next 2-3 months.
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