Former Virginia Lacrosse Player Appeals Slaying Conviction

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- A judge is weighing arguments that a former University of Virginia lacrosse player convicted in the slaying of his former girlfriend did not receive a fair trial.

George V. Huguely V of Chevy Chase, Maryland, is serving a 23-year sentence for the 2010 alcohol-fueled attack on Yeardley Love of suburban Baltimore. She was found dead in her Charlottesville apartment.

In a bid to overturn his 2012 conviction of second-degree murder, Huguely attorney Jonathan Sheldon asked a Circuit Court judge on Wednesday to free his client on the grounds he had not received a fair trial, the Daily Progress (http://bit.ly/1RNBTfr ) reported.

Huguely, 28, has argued that he received ineffective representation because one of his attorneys fell ill during his trial. He had asked that the trial be delayed until she could return, but his request was denied.

Attorneys have failed on two occasions to have the U.S. Supreme Court take his appeal. A state appeals court affirmed his conviction.

Scott Goodman, a defense attorney not involved in the Huguely appeal, put the odds of overturning Huguely's conviction at 1-in-1,000, but that's "still better than zero chance."

"No attorney tries a perfect case," Goodman said. "The last resort is to turn on your attorneys."

Huguely did not appear in court Wednesday. He is serving his prison term in Augusta Correctional Center.

Judge Richard Moore ruled that Huguely's trial attorneys would be allowed to break their confidentiality agreements and provide statements on Huguely's claim they were ineffective.

He also ruled that jurors can be contacted by Huguely's defense but won't be forced to cooperate.

Love was a varsity player on U.Va.'s women's lacrosse team. The One Love Foundation, which is named after Love's uniform number, seeks to combat relationship violence.

(Copyright 2016 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)