This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A 25-year-old man who pleaded guilty to pulling a gun on security employees at a Layton Walmart in January wants to withdraw his plea because he has trouble reading.
Trent Allen Longton entered guilty pleas in February to charges of robbery, a second-degree felony, and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon, a class A misdemeanor.
But in documents filed this month in 2nd District Court, Longton's new attorney claims Longton never read his statement in support of a guilty plea, nor could he have.
"The defendant never read the document nor did the defendant's attorney read it to him," the motion filed by attorney Emily A. Swenson states. "The defendant ... does not read at a high level and would not have understood the document even if he was given the chance to read it."
Swenson originally believed Longton had a ninth-grade education, but was later informed by a family member that he had not completed the fifth grade.
The motion claims that Longton pleaded guilty to the charges after speaking with his former attorney for about five minutes, as other inmates in the holding cell listened to their conversation.
"It's an embarrassing thing," Swenson told The Salt Lake Tribune. "You don't want to discuss it in front of everyone at the jail. It's just not something he's ever talked about. It's not something he's proud of."
Longton was arrested in January after allegedly trying to steal a laptop computer from the Layton Walmart. When questioned by security employees, Longton allegedly pulled out a gun and cocked it.
Two employees then grabbed Longton and disarmed him, a violation of Wal-Mart policy that led to four employees being fired.
The group has since filed a wrongful termination suit against the company.
Swenson said she hopes the case proceeds to trial because a video recording obtained by attorneys after Longton's plea sheds a different light on the allegations.