Sagaser wants to withdraw guilty pleas, seeks new lawyer

CANYON CITY — A Mt. Vernon man who previously pleaded guilty to six domestic violence- and drug-related charges asked for a new attorney on Nov. 19 — and to withdraw his pleas.

Matthew Eric Sagaser, 31, told Circuit Judge William Cramer that he wants a new lawyer to replace his court-appoint lawyer, Robert Raschio. The judge set a Nov. 30 in-person meeting with them to discuss the motion in chambers.

The Nov. 19 hearing was held remotely with Cramer in Burns and the rest of the people in Canyon City. He is the only circuit court judge in Grant and Harney counties.

After Sagaser’s motion for a new lawyer is settled, Cramer said he will take up the motion to withdraw his pleas.

Raschio would not comment on the motions.

The move is unusual because Sagaser already pleaded guilty on Nov. 5 to:

• One count of coercion.

• Three counts of fourth-degree assault.

• One count of strangulation.

• One count of possession of methamphetamine.

Sagaser was released from jail for a week after he entered the guilty pleas and was to be sentenced Nov. 19, according to Assistant Grant County District Attorney Matt Ipson.

Sagaser was initially indicted on 29 counts of domestic violence, including second-degree kidnapping, five counts of coercion, nine counts of fourth-degree assault, strangulation, four counts of menacing and nine counts of recklessly endangering another person.

The alleged abuse of the victim took place in several locations within the county. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office and John Day Police Department investigated the case.

In the original indictment, Sagaser is alleged to have kidnapped the woman by secretly confining her in a place where she was not likely to be found. He reportedly committed coercion by threatening the woman to not leave an area, not tell hospital staff about the nature of her injuries and not tell a third-party about the cause of her injuries.

The woman was injured by Sagaser allegedly strangling her, striking her head against concrete, head-butting, kicking and elbowing her and shooting at her with a CO2 “airsoft” gun from within five feet, according to the indictment.

Sagaser was arrested in early October.