Claudia Hoerig appeals murder conviction and life prison sentence

Staff report

WARREN

Claudia Hoerig, who was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison last month in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court for killing her husband, Karl, in 2007, has appealed her conviction and sentencing.

As promised at her sentencing hearing, Atty. John Cornely of the Ohio Public Defender’s Office, lead defense attorney in her trial, filed the appeal. It was filed Wednesday with the 11th District Court of Appeals, which will hear the appeal.

The filing does not give specific areas that will be challenged.

Cornely also filed a separate document asking that Atty. Michael Partlow of Kent serve as her appeals attorney and that the state pay for his representation on the grounds that Hoerig has no money.

Hoerig, 54, is in the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, northwest of Columbus.

Partlow handles many appeals cases for Trumbull County convicts.

A jury found her guilty Jan. 24 of aggravated murder with a firearm. Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins said he will write a letter to the Ohio Parole Board asking it to help him live up to his promise to the Brazilian and U.S. governments to seek a prison sentence for Claudia that will not exceed the 30 years that a person can get in Hoerig’s native country of Brazil.