Bryan Kohberger's bid to oust judge and undo guilty plea moves forward with new court date set
Bryan Kohberger, the former Idaho student convicted of killing four students in the spring of 2022, will appear before a court on October 15 to argue that Judge Steven Hippler should be removed from his case. The hearing is part of a post‑conviction relief effort in which Kohberger seeks to have his July 2, 2025 guilty plea set aside.
The case that led to the plea
In 2022, Kohberger was charged with four counts of first‑degree murder and a burglary charge for the stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen (21), Kaylee Goncalves (21), Xana Kernodle (20) and Ethan Chapin (20). After a trial in which the jury found him guilty, Kohberger entered a plea on July 2, 2025. Judge Hippler accepted the plea and, on July 23, 2025, imposed a sentence of four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, plus an additional ten years. The sentence was the result of a plea agreement that spared Kohberger the death penalty.
Post‑conviction relief filing
In July, Kohberger submitted a handwritten petition alleging ineffective counsel and that his plea was not entered knowingly or voluntarily. He claimed it had been induced by promises that were not kept and that it was the result of threats asserted by his former legal team. The petition also requested that Judge Hippler be disqualified from the case.
The state assigned Greg Rauch of Moscow, Idaho, to represent Kohberger. In August, private attorney Jason Goldman from New York joined the defense team. Goldman told Fox News Digital that the new lawyers expect to file an amended petition by November 13, the fourth anniversary of the murders. “We think the amended petition and evidentiary hearing will naturally address some of the outstanding and unanswered questions,” Goldman said. “The main priority right now is to scrutinize the constitutional issues surrounding Bryan’s plea.”
Motion to disqualify the judge
On August 27, Rauch filed a 22‑page motion asking the court to disqualify Judge Hippler. The motion cited Hippler’s refusal to grant additional time to Kohberger’s former defense team for discovery as the trial date approached the previous year. The defense also objected to language used by the judge at sentencing, which described Kohberger as “someone in whom the Court could identify nothing remaining that was ‘good or intrinsically human.’”
In response, Judge Hippler ordered Kohberger’s attorneys to submit a justification by September 10 explaining why a supplemental filing attached to the motion should remain sealed. The filing also must be shared with the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. The court has not made the document public and it will remain sealed at least until the deadline, likely longer after a justification is provided.
Prosecution’s position
Deputy Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Keith Scholl has requested transcripts of both hearings in which Kohberger admitted guilt and affirmed that he entered his plea knowingly and without duress. In its fight against the post‑conviction relief petition, the prosecution maintains that the guilty plea was entered freely and that the case should proceed to execution of the sentence already imposed.
Upcoming hearing
The court will hold the hearing on October 15 at 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time via WebEx. At that time, Kohberger’s defense will argue for the removal of Judge Hippler and for setting aside the plea, while prosecutors will likely contend that the plea and sentencing were lawful and should stand.
The case remains a high‑profile example of the complex legal battles that can arise after a conviction and plea, raising questions about the adequacy of counsel, judge impartiality and the possibility of revisiting a guilty plea in the wake of new evidence or procedural concerns.
