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Death-row inmate Elroy Tillman's bid for a new trial opened yesterday with attorneys arguing over 50 pages of police documents.
The papers detail an interview with Tillman's former girlfriend and purported accomplice. No one was able to explain the origin of the documents -- which appeared years after Tillman's murder trial and just weeks before a scheduled 2001 execution date.
Defense lawyers say the papers were withheld by prosecutors and show that Tillman didn't get a fair trial. Prosecutors have argued that there's nothing new in the documents.
Tillman, who maintains he's innocent, was convicted of killing a man in 1982. His girlfriend and alleged accomplice got immunity for her testimony.
The hearing continues for two more days.
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
