Aubrey Trail Moves To Fire Attorneys

Aubrey Trail has filed a motion with the Nebraska Supreme Court to dismiss his attorneys and represent himself in the appeal of his murder conviction.Trail, 55, was convicted on July 10, 2019, in Saline County District Court of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Sydney Loofe. He pleaded guilty to a count of improper disposal of human remains but, during the course of the trial, maintained that Loofe's death was an accident. The jury of six men and six women deliberated for three hours before reaching a verdict.Trail was sentenced to death on June 9 of this year.Trail is represented by attorneys Benjamin Murray and Joseph Murray of Murray Law, P.C., L.L.O., in Hebron.According to the motion in the court file, “The defendant and his attorney's (sic) have reached an impasse as to how current matters be handled before this court and have no hope of resolving these differences.”An appeal is automatic in Nebraska for death penalty cases. On August 20, Benjamin Murray filed for an extension, “Due to the complex nature of the appeal and counsel's current case load, counsel cannot complete the brief in the remaining allotted time.”According to Trail's motion, this extension request was done against his wishes, “At last check my attorney over my objection ask (sic) for and received a needless thirty (30) day extension to file the brief. This extension was ask (sic) for due to their case load and nothing to due for need for more preparation time.”In addition to their regular case load, both in criminal and civil matters, both Benjamin and Joseph Murray provide legal defense services for Jefferson County whenever Jefferson County Public Defender Scott Gropp is unable to represent a defendant either due to conflict of interest or his own case load.Trail states in his motion that, “The defendant has not had a visit from either of his attorneys since November of 2019.”FJN has not independently verified Trail's allergations. Both attorneys were present with Trail in the Saline County Courthouse during the sentencing hearings in 2021.It is Trail's intention to represent himself for the remainder of the appeals process. Trail wrote in hi motion, “Defendant states to the court that this is not a delaying tactic and his next filing is prepared and ready to be filed with the court as soon and if the court grants him permission to proceed pro se.”“Pro se” is Latin for “in one's own behalf.”

L. Gerane Drewes

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