The Vermont Supreme Court has vacated a man's 16 burglary convictions because of the wording involved in a plea change.
31-year-old Anthony Bridger, of Rutland, pleaded guilty to multiple burglary charges in a 2010 plea agreement. Bridger later appealed the convictions, saying he never admitted to any facts of the charges when undergoing questioning by a judge.
The Rutland Herald reports the Vermont Supreme Court ruled in Bridger's favor after he lost his case in superior court. According to the majority decision, Bridger didn't admit to direct or circumstantial evidence during the plea hearing.
Rutland County State's Attorney Rose Kennedy says the state Supreme Court's decision now calls into question all plea changes that didn't have precise wording.
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