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Martin Moylan
St. Paul, Minn.

Judge appoints public defender for Denny Hecker

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Hecker's booking photo
Fallen auto mogul Denny Hecker is shown in this booking photo released by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department on March 30, 2010. Judge Jay Quam ordered Hecker taken into custody, saying Hecker had failed to provide adequate financial information in the divorce case of his second wife.
Photo courtesy of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department

A U.S. District court judge Monday appointed a public defender for former auto dealer Denny Hecker.

Judge Susan Richard Nelson first approved a request by Bill Mauzy to withdraw as Hecker's criminal defense attorney. Mauzy said he wanted off Hecker's case because Hecker can't pay him.

Under oath, Hecker then swore he didn't have money for an attorney to defend himself against 25 federal criminal charges.

But the Office of the Federal Defender said it has a conflict because it already has a staff attorney assigned to represent someone else involved in the Hecker case.

So, the office is authorizing two private attorneys to defend Hecker. The lead defense attorney for Hecker will be Brian Toder. He has 25 years of trial experience.

Toder will be paid $125 an hour.

Hecker's trial is scheduled to start in October.

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Hecker's booking photo
Fallen auto mogul Denny Hecker is shown in this booking photo released by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department on March 30, 2010. Judge Jay Quam ordered Hecker taken into custody, saying Hecker had failed to provide adequate financial information in the divorce case of his second wife.
Photo courtesy of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department