The Arizona Court of Appeals has denied former eye surgeon Bradley Schwartz's petition to review his 2006 conviction of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, court records show.
In 2004, Schwartz hired Ronald Bruce Bigger to kill his business partner, Dr. Brian Stidham. Although he was found guilty of conspiracy, a jury couldn't reach a unanimous decision on the first-degree murder charge.
The court decision said Schwartz requested a review of the court's denial of his petition for post-conviction relief.
Post-conviction relief can refer to a number of remedies, including release, a new trial or a modification of sentence. It's not immediately clear what Schwartz was seeking, as the document didn't specify.
Schwartz claimed there's been a significant change in the law and there's newly discovered evidence that supports his petition for relief, the document said.
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He also said the trial court erred in rejecting his request for documents from a civil suit between the victim's wife and Pima County.
"He has failed to demonstrate a reasonable probability the evidence would have changed the verdict or sentence," the document stated.
It also said that the additional evidence he presented didn't create reasonable doubt as to his guilt.
