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City man withdraws guilty plea

Snyder said Blair court ‘lost track’ of DUI case

HOLLIDAYSBURG — An Altoona man has withdrawn the guilty plea he entered 10.5 years ago in Blair County court to a DUI charge, a step providing him with time to weigh his options and possibly challenge the charge.

“It’s not my fault that they lost track of this case,” defendant Joseph A. Snyder said Monday outside the courtroom where Judge Timothy Sullivan granted Snyder’s request to withdraw his plea. “I’m in a whole different place in my life than I was 10 years ago.”

The delay in addressing Snyder’s offense came to light earlier this year when the court system recognized Snyder’s 2007 case as one that “merely fell through the cracks” without closure.

In a February ruling, Sullivan declined to dismiss the case for lack of speedy sentencing at the request of Assistant Public Defender Anthony Kattouf.

The speedy trial and speedy sentencing rules, Sullivan said, are in place to protect people from “inexcusable or intentional delay” on the part of the court system or prosecution. In Snyder’s case and a similar case, the judge said he found no impropriety.

“I am very interested in challenging this because I don’t think they’re being fair,” Snyder said outside of court.

Kattouf, who represents Snyder, said a challenge will depend on review of the evidence in the

Aug. 15, 2007, incident. Snyder entered a plea to DUI high rate, third offense, and driving without a license. Additional charges of DUI general impairment, driving without a license, recklessly driving and related charges were dropped.

By withdrawing his 2007 plea, Snyder preserves all of his options to address the charges which includes entry into the county’s DUI Court or its Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition program. In 2007, when Snyder rendered the plea, he was expected to enter an alternative program but was never sentenced.

After hearing that Assistant District Attorney Noah Walstrom offered no objection to the withdrawal, Sullivan said he would grant the request that fell within his discretion.

The judge also advised Snyder that the withdrawal will keep his case on the court docket and require his attendance at a June 25 review of pending DUI cases.

“I’m going to make sure we don’t lose track of this,” Sullivan said in court. “We need to bring this matter some sort of resolution.”

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