Samontry v. State
Annotate this CaseThis interlocutory appeal stemmed from the circuit court's disqualification of Reggie Koch as counsel for appellants, Ae Samontry and Pornpiemon Phouangmany. Appellants were charged with prostitution and promoting prostitution. Jerry Richard, Samontry's ex-husband, was also charged with promoting prostitution. Richard was represented by Koch. Samontry and Phouangmany were found guilty as charged, and Richard was acquitted of all charges. Samontry and Phouangmany then retained Koch as their attorney and appealed their convictions to the circuit court. The circuit court subsequently granted the State's motion to disqualify Koch as counsel for Appellants based on his previous representation of a material witness, Richard, in the matter. The Supreme Court (1) dismissed the appeal with respect to Samontry, as there was no order contained in the record of this interlocutory appeal disqualifying Koch as counsel for Samontry; and (2) reversed Koch's disqualification as counsel for Phouangmany, as the State failed to meet its burden of proof to support Koch's disqualification in Phouangmany's case.
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