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MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - An admitted gunman who is attempting to withdraw a guilty plea in a high-profile Minneapolis murder case, ran into opposition in court Tuesday from prosecutors and Hennepin County District Court Judge Julie Allyn.
Dpree Robinson has asked Judge Allyn to withdraw his second-degree murder guilty plea in the deadly May, 2021 shooting of Trinity Ottoson-Smith, who was 9-years-old and jumping on a friend’s backyard trampoline when she was struck by a wayward bullet.
"The pain that has gone on, it just continued for a very long time," Randy Ottoson, Trinity’s grandfather told FOX 9’s Paul Blume in a courthouse interview.
In March, on the day his trial was scheduled to begin, Robinson tearfully admitted firing the deadly shot, intending it for a rival gang member outside a neighboring home. His plea included a 37.5 year prison sentence, with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office agreeing to drop a first-degree murder charge that could have sent Robinson away for life.
Trinity’s grieving family told Blume that they are looking for closure in the criminal justice system, describing a frustrating, rollercoaster ride over the last two-plus years.
"A lot of what we've gone through, especially, you know, in May. Trinity's birthday was on Thanksgiving. So now it's every Thanksgiving, every Christmas, every May. We think about her every day. We love her," said Ottoson.
Robinson’s legal team argues he was under the influence of pain medication including Oxycodone at the time of his courtroom admission, coming just days after he underwent hernia surgery.
His public defender, Jesse Dong, maintained Robinson’s memory of the plea hearing is foggy, and does not recall making the admission. Dong said the right thing to do in the name of justice, is to grant Robinson a trial.
Prosecutor Joshua Larson countered, that the defendant knew exactly what he was doing, was of the right mind, and properly waived all of his trial rights, concluding his guilty plea should stand.
Judge Allyn agreed, at least for now, signaling it was her intention to move ahead to sentencing that she scheduled for July 11. But her ruling will not become official until she files her formal decision in writing within the next two weeks.