Albuquerque bank robber denied new attorney in latest bid to cut 80-year sentence
A federal judge in Albuquerque has denied Byron Shane Chubbuck‘s bid for a new attorney as he seeks a sentence reduction, the latest attempt by the serial bank robber to shorten his 80-year prison term. Chubbuck, who is locked up until 2071, must show good cause to get new legal representation, the judge ruled Friday.
Chubbuck, also known as Robin the Hood, was sentenced a decade ago for a string of Albuquerque bank robberies in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He escaped from custody twice and is suspected of robbing additional banks.
The convicted bank robber has asked the court for a new attorney so he can pursue a compassionate release. He claims his current attorney is not responding to him.
The judge said Chubbuck must show good cause, such as a complete breakdown of communication or an irreconcilable conflict, to get new representation.
In 2016, Chubbuck filed an appeal seeking to shave 25 years off his prison time. His attorney at the time, Todd Coberly, argued that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found certain language in the Armed Career Criminal Act unconstitutional should have applied to Chubbuck’s case.
That petition was denied. Chubbuck failed to convince the judge.
On Friday, another federal judge denied Chubbuck’s latest petition. But there is a slim chance the bank robber could still prevail. The judge stated that an appeals court judge may need to decide on the petition.
