Riley Walker, 46, formerly of Edison, is serving a 20-year prison sentence in connection with the 2001 incident
Riley Walker NEWARK -- A man serving a 20-year prison sentence has lost an appeal of his attempted murder conviction for repeatedly hitting his ex-girlfriend with a car and severing one of her legs in 2001.
Riley Walker, 46, formerly of Edison, has claimed he received ineffective legal assistance, because his attorney permitted him to plead guilty in 2003 even though he was impaired by psychiatric medications at the time.
But a state appeals court on Thursday said Walker had failed to provide sufficient evidence to back up that claim.
"Defendant has never produced any competent evidence to support his claims of extreme intoxication, diminished capacity or inability to fully comprehend the plea proceedings, thus reducing his claims to mere bald assertions without any evidentiary support," according to the appellate decision.
The appellate panel upheld a Superior Court judge's ruling in 2013 to deny Walker's petition for post-conviction relief.
The incident occurred on Oct. 15, 2001 when Walker, then 32, flagged down his ex-girlfriend in Newark and asked her for a ride, the decision states. After Walker entered the car, the two of them got into an argument, the decision states.
Walker then forced the woman out of the car and drove after her as she tried to run away, the decision states.
"He drove up onto the sidewalk, pinned her against a building and repeatedly rammed her with the car, breaking her hip, both her wrists and severing one of her legs," the decision states.
On Feb. 19, 2003, Walker pleaded guilty to carjacking and attempted murder charges. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors recommended a 20-year prison sentence with 17 years to be served before Walker is eligible for parole. Walker received that sentence on April 16, 2003.
Walker, who received credit for time served, will be eligible for parole in October 2018.
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In the years following his guilty plea, Walker asserted that the medications he was taking had affected his ability to understand the plea, the decision states.
In 2008, a judge rejected that argument, noting that Walker had been deemed competent to stand trial before his guilty plea, and that he "was 'lucid, coherent, and answered questions in a straightforward manner' during his plea colloquy," the decision states.
"The judge concluded that 'defendant has not provided the Court with any evidence that would substantiate claims of mental incompetence,'" the decision states.
When another judge denied Walker's petition for post-conviction relief in 2013, the judge noted the findings of the psychologist who performed Walker's competency evaluation, the decision states.
That doctor "concluded that defendant's test results, which were at odds with his observed abilities, suggested defendant was exaggerating his symptoms possibly to avoid criminal responsibility for his actions," the decision states.
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
