A Sturgis man’s appeal of a trial court decision during his manslaughter trial has been turned down by the South Dakota Supreme Court. Beadle County States Attorney Mike Moore says the High Court agreed with Judge Vince Foley in not allowing John LeGrand to change his guilty plea…
LeGrand can not appeal the Supreme Court’s decision. The Supreme Court summarily issued a decision August 22nd. LeGrand motioned to withdraw his guilty plea on the day he was to be sentenced for shooting Ricardo “R.J” Hein in April of 2009. He claimed his mind was “foggy” on the day he agreed to the plea and felt pressured by his attorneys to making the deal. A series of hearings delayed his eventual sentencing by 60 days. Foley sentenced LeGrand to the maximum 40 years in prison for second degree manslaughter. LeGrand was given a 20 year sentence on unrelated drug charges in Meade County. That sentence running concurrently with the manslaughter sentence.