Judge hears testimony in Bob Bashara's bid for new trial

Bashara fights for appeal, says attorneys are to blame

DETROIT – A judge has agreed to hear testimony during an evidentiary hearing for Bob Bashara, who is seeking a new trial after being convicted of arranging his wife's death.

Bashara's appellate lawyer, Ronald Ambrose, argued Tuesday in before Judge Vonda Evans that Bashara's trial attorneys didn't do enough to prevent him from a first-degree murder conviction and a life sentence.

The 57-year-old, known as "Master Bob," was also in court.

Testimony began with defense attorneys Michael McCarthy and Lillian Diallo. Court is in recess until Wednesday morning.

Read: Bob Bashara believes he deserves new trial

Ambrose said the jury wasn't given enough evidence or context to see that Jane Bashara didn't care about his lifestyle of bondage and domination. Ambrose said Jane Bashara was aware of her husband's lifestyle, and he engaged in it as an alternative because the couple was having medical issues with their sexuality. Ambrose said Bashara had no motive to have a handyman strangle his wife at their Grosse Pointe Park home in 2012.

Ambrose said he also had concerns about why the way jury questionnaires were handled and why the case was not given a change of venue.


--Attorney Ronald Ambrose

Bashara also waived his attorney-client privilege, which means his past attorneys, Lillian Diallo and Michael McCarthy, will testify.

Bashara was a former Rotary Club president who used cocaine and hosted men and women at a sex dungeon in the basement of a bar.


-- Bob Bashara