Ray Tate will remain in prison for the rest of his natural life. The former Lawrence County man had his motion to withdraw his guilty plea and vacate his life sentence for the killing of a Wayne County Sheriffs deputy denied during a nearly 9 hour hearing Wednesday in Wayne County Circuit Court in Fairfield. During the proceeding, Tate testified he was coerced into pleading guilty to the killing and was not mentally competent at the time. However, presiding Judge Denton Aud, after a brief recess at the end of the hearing, emerged and announced his decision saying that there was no question as to Tate's guilt based on the preponderence of evidence presented against him. Tate does have the right to file a written notice of appeal of the ruling within 30 days. Tate was remanded back into the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) afterward and will continue to serve his life sentence without parole at the Menard Correctional Center in Chester.
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