Last month, Michael W. Durham avoided trial when he entered a guilty plea in the 2010 home invasion robbery of a Junction City couple in exchange for a recommended sentence of 11 years in prison.
On Tuesday, when Boyle Circuit Judge Darren Peckler was set to formally sentence him to those 11 years, Durham changed his mind again. He told Peckler he wanted to fire his lawyer, withdraw his guilty plea and take the case to trial acting as his own attorney.
Peckler said he will hold two hearings on July 19, one to determine if Durham can legally withdraw his guilty plea and the other to decide if he can act as his own attorney if the case goes forward.
Durham, 26, of Stanford is charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of first-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into the home of Warren and Mary Bigger. Warren Bigger was pistol whipped, and Mary Bigger was threatened with a gun during the robbery, where old coins, jewelry, cash and a laptop computer were taken.
