Man convicted of murdering trooper petitions court for new trial

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A man convicted of murdering a state trooper with the trooper's own gun during a traffic stop near the Parkway West has requested a new trial.

Ten years ago, Leslie Mollett was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of Pennsylvania state trooper Cpl. Joseph Pokorny.

An Allegheny County jury found Mollett guilty of first-degree murder for the December 2005 killing in Carnegie. Mollett shot Pokorny twice with Pokorny’s own gun during a traffic stop just off the Parkway West.

Mollett wants the court to throw out his life sentence. However, if he is retried, the death penalty would be back on the table.

During a hearing on Thursday, Mollett took the stand for the first time in his own defense. He said he wants a new trial and is blaming his attorney for his conviction.

Mollett waived the right to testify in his own defense a decade ago. He told Channel 11 News on Wednesday that he wanted to testify during the trial, but was not allowed to do so.

“I want a chance to say something, to tell what happened, to tell my side. I didn’t get a chance to do that,” Mollett said.

He said on Thursday in court that his attorney bullied him out of his right to take the stand, swore at him and didn't want to meet with him to talk specifically about testifying.

"It got heated," Mollett testified. "I didn't want to turn it into a conflict, so I left it alone."

Mollett’s trial attorney, John Elash, was not in court on Thursday, but he testified previously. Elash told the judge that he told Mollett he had a right to testify in his own defense, but couldn't recall when and where it happened.

Part of Mollett's petition is about the dozens of state troopers who were in or outside court throughout the trial. Mollett maintains they prejudiced the jury against him.

Pokorny’s sister and mother said seeing Mollett again was difficult, and that the judge and jury made the right call a decade ago. They were not in court on Thursday.

More testimony is expected in the days ahead.

Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for continuing coverage.