KNOXVILLE, TN : Tennessee man had insufficient counsel in crash case on Friday, October 6, 2017

A Tennessee appeals court has ruled a man convicted in a 2012 crash with a church van that killed two people and injured 11 others had insufficient counsel when he entered into a plea agreement.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals said Friday that Tyler James Schaeffer was under the impression his 40-year sentence in the crash would run concurrently with a 100-year federal sentence previously handed down for a robbery spree.

The appeals court found a public defender did not engage with federal authorities to ensure the sentences would be served concurrently and did not tell Schaeffer it was possible federal officials might not honor his state plea agreement.

The court said attorneys should work with federal officials to satisfy Schaeffer’s original plea deal.

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Tennessee man had insufficient counsel in crash case