UPDATE: JUDGE ALLEGES CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN JAYCEE LEE DUGARD CASE

The California Third District Court of Appeal ruled that El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Douglas Phimister wrongly removed Gilbert Maines as counsel for Nancy Garrido in the kidnapping case of Jaycee Duggard.

Last month Judge Phimister removed Maines as counsel for Garrido who is charged along with her husband Phillip with kidnapping and sexually abusing Duggard 18 years ago in South Lake Tahoe. Judge Phimister claimed to have information that Maines shared confidential information about Gerrido while he was drunk at his country club and removed him from the case. But Maines provided affidavits to the Third District Court of Appeals from witnesses stating that he was not drunk and that he did not discuss any confidential information.

However, the appelate court did not reinstate Maines as Duggard’s counsel. Phimister claims to have additional evidence of misconduct by Maines so the Court returned the case to Judge Phimister and ordered him to decide wheter or not to remove Maines from the case by December 24.