TAMPA, Fla. — Attorneys for Louis Harris, the man Tampa Police dubbed the “Bayshore Rapist,” have asked to be removed from his appeal case, but a judge has denied that request — for now.
The lawyers, representing Harris at no cost, cited legal differences.
Harris, who represented himself at his criminal trial 13 years ago asked the judge not to allow them to withdraw from their commitment.
The details of why Harris's attorneys asked to step away from the case were kept private, citing attorney-client privilege, but they made it clear they had conversations and written correspondences with Harris — and enough legal conflict stemming from those discussions — to step aside.
Harris asked the judge in his case not to allow them to do that.
In 2011, Harris was convicted of posing as a police officer, kidnapping and then raping a woman along Bayshore Boulevard.
Harris represented himself at his criminal trial and has been doing so again - as he seeks a new trial.
“They made commitments to myself and this court about things that they were going to conduct in my case,” he told Judge Michelle Sisco. “I hold them to those commitments. I would hope that the court holds them to those commitments as well.”
Judge Sisco agreed with Harris, finding insufficient reason, at least at this point, for his pro-bono lawyers to withdraw from defending him. The judge did, however, add that if conflicts continued, she would allow the attorneys to re-file their motion.
The hearing was originally also set for a court-appointed investigator to report back about whether they’d been able to locate any traffic or weather camera video from 13 years ago.
The images were sought after an anonymous tipster, who claims to formerly be with the Tampa Police Department, said the evidence would support Harris's case and his quest for a new trial.
But apparently, disagreements with his court-appointed investigator also led to a delay and Harris is now considering finding his own investigator instead.
Harris claims Tampa police and prosecutors withheld video evidence that should have been shared with the jury in his original case.
An appeals court has ruled there are enough questions about that evidence to warrant what’s called a post-conviction relief hearing.
Sisco set Harris’s next court date, a status hearing, for Aug. 22.