Who is Anne Taylor? Bryan Kohberger’s attorney allegedly represented the parent of one Idaho murder victim

Anne Taylor, a licensed American lawyer who primarily practices as chief of the Kootenai County Public Defender’s Office, is representing murder suspect Bryan Kohberger, accused of murdering four University of Idaho students on November 13, 2022.

Taylor's conduct while representing the murder suspect has now come into question after reports surfaced stating that Bryan Kohberger’s defense attorney previously represented the mother of slain student Xana Kernodle.

Multiple reports citing court documents filed on January 5, 2023, revealed that the public defender, Anne Taylor, represented Kernodle’s mother concerning a misdemeanor charge and two felony charges. The document was reportedly filed by the public defender to withdraw her representation of the victim’s mother as it would lead to a conflict of interest while defending the suspect accused of the crime.

According to the court filing, Taylor represented the victim’s mother from November 21, 2022, to January 5, 2023, the date she filed the document, asking the court to find a substitute counsel.

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Bryan Kohberger's attorney stopped representing the slain student's parent after he was extradited to Idaho

Anne Taylor filed a document asking the court to withdraw from representing her former client, one day after Brayn Kohberger was extradited to Idaho to face death penalty charges for the fatal stabbing of Xana Kernodle, her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, and two roommates, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen in Moscow, Idaho.

Anne Taylor, an Idaho native and a University of Idaho graduate, is one of only 13 public defenders in the state licensed by the state's public defense commission to represent persons facing the death penalty.

The Idaho Statesman, citing legal experts, said that the public defender’s representation of a former client raises the potential for a conflict of interest in Bryan Kohberger’s murder trial. Brad Andrews, former counsel for the Idaho State Bar, told the outlet:

“Anytime a former client is involved in a current representation, a lawyer should evaluate any potential conflicts. Conflicts are very factually based, and so the lawyer decides whether the lawyer has a conflict.”

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As Bryan Kohberger awaits a preliminary hearing, the judge added a new provision to the gag order that was first issued earlier this month, preventing law enforcement officials, defense attorneys, and other officials connected to the case from releasing any information.

Last week, the existing gag order also banned any attorneys representing survivors, witnesses, or the victims’ family members from talking or writing about the high-profile case. In the court order, Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall said

“There is a balance between protecting the right to a fair trial for all parties involved and the right to free expression as afforded under both the United States and Idaho Constitution. To preserve the right to a fair trial some curtailment of the dissemination of information, in this case, is necessary and authorized under the law.”

Bryan Kohberger is being held in the Latah County jail in Idaho without bail.