Murder conviction of Tucson man overturned

The second-degree murder conviction of a Tucson man has been thrown out by the Arizona Court of Appeals.

The court on Thursday ordered a new trial for Vernon Lee Bullock, saying the judge erred in not letting Bullock defend himself.

Bullock, 30, was convicted of killing Francisco Arriaga, 25, in June 2005 during a late-night melee outside a midtown nightclub and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Bullock consistently asked for a change in court-appointed attorneys before his November 2006 trial, Judge J. William Brammer Jr. wrote in the unanimous appellate decision released Thursday.

Bullock complained his primary attorney, an assistant public defender, wasn't handling the case as the defendant thought he should.

A bullet recovered from Arriaga's body matched Bullock's 9 mm pistol, but another bullet couldn't be traced to him, according to court records.

Bullock said he wanted to pursue self-defense and third-party culpability during the trial, but his attorneys refused.