A federal judge has refused former NFL player Darren Sharper’s request to overturn his plea deal in connection with his serial rape conviction and 18-year prison sentence.
Sharper, who was convicted in 2016 of drugging and raping at least nine women across four states, filed a 50-page motion to overturn his conviction, and claimed in the filing that his past legal team did not adequately advise him during plea deal negotiations, the New York Post reported.
The plea deal went awry for the one-time New Orleans Saints Super Bowl player when prosecutors claimed that he would get nine years in jail for pleading guilty or no contest to the charges. However, during his sentencing phase after accepting the plea deal, Judge Jane Triche Milazzo balked at the deal and handed the player 18 years instead.
Judge Milazzo said that the plea deal was too lenient and said it helped Sharper to “avoid the harsh consequences of his actions.”
Sharper insisted several times in court that he fully understood the plea deal and waived his right to a full trial by jury.
The judge cited that proclamation. “The record shows that Sharper knew the terms of his plea agreement and that his attorneys worked closely with him in counseling him through the case,” Milazzo wrote in her decision.
The 43-year-old, five-time Pro Bowl player could now possibly stay in a New York jail until the year 2030.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.