Federal appeals court upholds conviction of man once pardoned by former Gov. Matt Bevin

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WYMT/LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER) - A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of a man who was convicted on state and then federal charges in a Knox County murder case.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the decision from the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on Patrick Baker’s request came down on Thursday. The newspaper states the three-judge panel ruled against Baker on every point his attorneys raised.

Baker, who lived in Laurel County, was convicted on a state charge of reckless homicide in 2017, and was pardoned by then Gov. Matt Bevin before he left office after losing his re-election bid in 2019.

During a new trial in 2022, Baker was convicted on federal charges in the death of Donald Mills. He was sentenced to 42 years in federal prison, which is what he was trying to appeal.