Idaho Supreme Court Hears Lori Vallow Daybell’s Appeal

The Idaho Supreme Court heard arguments November 2 in Lori Vallow Daybell’s appeal of her convictions for killing her two children and conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell. The court said it would issue a ruling later; it did not decide the appeal at the hearing. Vallow Daybell’s attorney, Craig Durham, argued that the trial court wrongly removed Mark Means, a lawyer she had chosen, and violated her right to counsel of choice. Durham said the court disqualified Means without establishing an actual conflict of interest and that Vallow Daybell was not able to participate in the proceedings that led to his removal. The state argued that disqualification was justified because Means had previously represented Chad Daybell, Vallow Daybell’s husband and co-defendant. Assistant Attorney General Jeff Nye said the record showed a relationship that raised conflict concerns, including Chad Daybell’s statements that Means was his attorney. The prosecution maintained that the trial judge had a duty to address the issue. The dispute over Means’s removal was one of several issues raised in the appeal. Vallow Daybell’s attorneys also challenged the pace of the trial and the admission of evidence...