RUTLAND – A Rutland man who had 16 burglary convictions thrown out recently by the Vermont Supreme Court is now facing more than twice as many charges.
That’s because Anthony Bridger, 31, had originally been charged in 2009 with 33 offenses in Rutland County, but the number was reduced by over half as part of a plea deal that was recently vacated.
A majority of the Supreme Court ruled in late August that his change of plea hearing in 2010 had been flawed, effectively vacating the convictions and sentence. Bridger had been sentenced as part of that plea deal to six to 20 years in prison.
While behind bars, Bridger has been appealing his case. In his latest filing for post-conviction relief, Bridger lost at the Superior Court level, but prevailed before the Supreme Court.
Bridger’s filing took issue with a part of the sentencing hearing in 2010 where he underwent questioning by the judge to determine if he was knowingly entering his guilty pleas.
Bridger’s appeal argued, and a majority of the high court agreed in its ruling in his favor, that he did not admit to “circumstantial or direct” evidence against him in each of the 16 charges that were part of the plea deal.
Bridger appeared back in Rutland Superior criminal court Tuesday, his first hearing since that Supreme Court decision.
At one point during the brief hearing, Judge Thomas Zonay asked Bridger if he would be withdrawing his earlier guilty pleas to the burglary charges.
Bridger said he wanted to do just that.
Then, after discussion with his attorney and the prosecutor, they all agreed that withdrawing the pleas wouldn’t be necessary because the ruling by the Supreme Court had already vacated those pleas by determining they were “not proper.”
“We’re back to where we were before the pleas were entered,” Zonay said.
Bridger’s cases in Rutland County return to where they stood prior to the hearing in 2010 when he entered the plea deal with prosecutors. He faces 33 charges, including the 16 burglaries as well as other charges for grand and petty larceny.
Those larceny charges had been dismissed as part of the 2010 plea agreement.
All the charges stem from a burglary spree in 2008 and into 2009 across southern Vermont and into New York that police say was carried out Bridger and a co-defendant.
According to police and court records, the two men took cash, electronics, jewelry, guns as well as other items from homes during the break-ins.
http://www.furlanlawvt.com/#about“>Mark Furlan, Bridger’s attorney, said in court Tuesday that the prosecutor “moments ago” had made a plea agreement offer that he wanted more time to talk over with his client.
“It just seems like this is happening very quickly from my perspective,” the defense attorney said, adding that he had only recently been appointed Bridger’s attorney.
The judge agreed to set another hearing in the case in 30 days, but added if the parties reach a resolution it could be brought into court sooner.
Bridger remains jailed on the $10,000 bail that had previously been set in the case. He was listed Wednesday by the state Department of Corrections’ online inmate locator as being in the {Rutland jail}.
“Mr. Bridger, any questions at this time,” Zonay asked him at the hearing Tuesday.
“Is there any way to get the bail set lower,” Bridger replied.
“That’s a question for your attorney,” the judge told him.
Rutland County Deputy State’s Attorney John Waszak, who is prosecuting the case, said in court that even if Bridger could post bail he wouldn’t be released.
“I assume there is a detainer. There is a sentence to be served in New York,” Waszak said. “It’s just matter of transferring him from Vermont to New York.”
Bridger, the prosecutor said, had years ago pleaded guilty in New York state to charges in connection with the burglary spree and faces an additional prison sentence there once he finishes serving time in Vermont.
At one point during the brief hearing Tuesday, Bridger appeared to express his frustration with the whole process, telling the judge, “I’d like to serve my time and get out.”
The post Man who had 16 convictions tossed out now faces twice the charges appeared first on VTDigger.
