Man convicted of murder in child’s death seeks new trial

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A Rhode Island man convicted of murder in the 2009 beating death of his girlfriend’s 6-year-old son is seeking a new trial.

WPRI-TV reports that the Rhode Island Supreme Court heard Michael Patino’s appeal on Wednesday. His lawyers say that jurors tried to read too much into text messages between Patino and the boy’s mother. They also say the charges against him weren’t properly presented to the jury.

Patino was accused of punching the boy in the midsection, causing fatal injuries. He was convicted of second-degree murder in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison.

The boy’s mother was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for waiting more than 12 hours before getting the boy medical care.

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Information from: WPRI-TV, http://www.wpri.com