Eighth Circuit Hears Appeal for Doctor Bombing in Special Session

By Dyanna Quizon, Esq. on February 09, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

During a special session of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals held at the University of Arkansas' law school, the court heard arguments in an appeal from a doctor accused of a 2009 bombing.

Randeep Mann was sentenced to life in prison in 2010 for the bombing that nearly killed Dr. Trent Pierce, the head of the Arkansas State Medical Board. Mann allegedly planted the bomb because the board had suspended his license following his patients' deaths from drug overdoses.

His attorneys argue that there was an insufficient amount of evidence to connect him with the grenade that was placed inside a spare tire in front of Pierce's home, according to the Associated Press.

"A reasonably logical person is left with more questions than answers from the underlying evidence, which resulted in a verdict based on speculation," his attorneys wrote in a filing to the court.

Mann faces an uphill battle with his appeal, however. During his trial, investigators said they found nearly 100 grenades and an arsenal of automatic weapons and ammunition in or near Mann's home, according to the Associated Press.

Attorneys from both sides had the opportunity to present their arguments before an audience of law students and the public. The Eighth Circuit's special session at the University of Arkansas School of Law is one of two yearly oral argument sessions held at the school, which is the alma mater of Judges Bobby E. Shepherd and Lavenski R. Smith. The event is free and open to the public and allows students to get a firsthand look at appellate oral arguments. After the arguments are concluded, the public has the opportunity to participate in a brief question-and-answer session.

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