Nearly three years after being convicted of murdering Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo freshman Kristin Smart in 1996, Paul Flores is back in court—this time seeking to overturn the verdict that sentenced him to 25 years to life. In a hearing held Thursday in Ventura County, Flores’ court-appointed attorney, Solomon Wollack, argued that procedural errors and misconduct marred the 2022 trial in Monterey County.

Among the appeal’s central claims: a juror’s emotional instability, the admission of uncharged sexual offense testimony, and the prosecution’s reliance on felony murder charges without proving key elements of the alleged attempted rape. Flores, who did not attend the hearing, remains incarcerated at Corcoran State Prison.

Here's what to know about the Smart murder case and the recent

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