Amber Guyger‘s appellate attorney is reportedly securing an option to win the ex-Dallas cop convicted of murder in the death of slain PwC associate Botham Jean a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Michael Mowla filed a notice of appeal regarding Guyger’s murder conviction last week, according to court documents CNN obtained Tuesday.
Robert Rogers, another of Guyger’s attorneys, however, told the news network the measure is more of a technicality.
“You have 30 days by statute to file a notice or intent to appeal, so the lawyer that’s handling the appeal filed that just to preserve the right,” he said.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez has already recommended that Dallas be dropped from a civil lawsuit Jean’s family filed related to the ex-cop’s actions killing Jean Sept. 6, 2018.
Guyger has said on that day she thought she was walking into her own unit when she suspected Jean was an intruder, entered his apartment and fatally shot him.
Although Guyger was in her uniform and worked for the police department at the time, Ramirez wrote in her opinion that Guyger was off duty during the encounter that led to Jean’s death.
Attorney Daryl Washington, who is representing the Jean family, however, told Atlanta Black Star Monday the law maintains that the moment Guyger suspected a crime was committed, she was legally called back onto duty.
“It has always been our position that Amber Guyger was on duty,” he said.
Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison Oct. 2 following her conviction earlier that week.
In another development in the case, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot faces a contempt of court hearing Oct. 31 regarding a television interview he gave before the trial when Judge Tammy Kemp had a gag order in place, according to KRLD radio.
Kemp ordered Creuzot to explain why he gave the interview, and, in turn, the district attorney his filed a motion to have Kemp replaced for the contempt hearing.
