The Michigan appeals court says ineffective work by a defense lawyer has spoiled the murder conviction of a Kalamazoo man in the death of his 2-year-old son.
Brian Roberts will get a new trial. The court says attorney Eusebio Solis "failed to properly investigate the medical controversy surrounding abusive head trauma in young children."
Roberts was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 2014 death of Nehemiah Dodd. The appeals court says Solis failed to get expert testimony to support a theory that Nehemiah's death was an accident.
Solis, a former prosecutor, admits he had never handled a case involving head trauma linked to abuse.
Solis now is representing Jason Dalton, who is charged with killing six people in a series of shootings in the Kalamazoo area.
