Appeals Court Overturns Rochester Man’s Conviction

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has overturned the conviction of a Rochester man who entered into a plea agreement last year.

The Appeals Court found the judge in the case failed to independently establish the factual basis of the Alford plea submitted by 43-year-old Moses Benjamin to a charge of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. An Alford plea means the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence to convict him of the charge.

During his plea hearing, Benjamin repeatedly denied he had a knife with him when he broke into his estranged wife’s residence and got into an argument with her about their three children. He later tried to withdraw the plea, but the judge denied his request and sentenced Benjamin to over four years in prison.