New trial granted for Lyft driver convicted of raping rider

MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — A judge has granted a new trial to Mandan Lyft driver whose 2019 conviction for raping a customer was upheld by the North Dakota Supreme Court. South Central District Judge Bobbi Weiler says Corey Wickham’s constitutional rights were violated when his defense attorney failed to object to police testimony that allegedly impacted the jury’s decision. Wickham was working as a Lyft driver in August 2018 when he was accused of raping a woman after driving her home. A jury convicted him of two sexual assault charges and he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Wickham’s attorney, Lloyd Suhr, argued that a Bismarck police detective’s testimony about Wickham’s request for an attorney was an improper comment that should have drawn an objection from defense counsel.