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'Cannibal Cop, Esq.'? Gilberto Valle Looking at Law School: Reports

By William Peacock, Esq. on October 23, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

He knows police procedure. He's not intimidated by the darker side of humanity. He has an intimate familiarity with the criminal defense now too. And he has name recognition.

Ex-NYPD Officer Gilberto Valle was once convicted of conspiring to murder (as in, to cook and eat) his wife; the conviction was later overturned, as the judge felt Valle was simply writing about his fantasies online. Valle was however, convicted of illegally accessing a police database, a minor crime that carried less than a year in jail and likely wouldn't be an automatic bar to the bar.

The bar? That may be exactly what the so-called "Cannibal Cop" has in mind, reports the New York Daily News.

80th Percentile? That's a Scholarship

In a series of letters to the judge who will sentence Valle next month, Valle's family and attorney stated that the man dubbed the "Cannibal Cop" wants to become the Cannibal Counselor once his legal troubles are behind him.

"Gil wants to go to law school. While in prison, he asked his family to send him LSAT prep books, and he continues to study for the exam since his release. He has scored as high as the 80th percentile on his most recent practice tests," Valle's attorney Julia Gatto wrote.

His brother also mentioned Valle's post-prison plans in his own letter, reports the New York Post.

Would He Be Admitted?

The case against Valle is obvious: Though the judge found that his online ramblings were mere fantasies, they certainly weren't normal fantasies -- kidnapping, chloroform, and dining on human flesh. Classmates and teachers will probably be hesitant to embrace him into the law school community. Plus, he does have a conviction on his record, one that will be a red flag if and when he applies for admission to the bar.

However, it doesn't seem to be a felony or some other crime that would be an automatic bar to admission. He'll run into come character and fitness questions, but it's not like he's a convicted murderer or an actual cannibal, right?

And besides, a high LSAT score will do a lot for a guy (and for a school's admissions numbers). Who knows? Maybe he'll end up with a full ride somewhere.

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