Man who planted MLK Day bomb in Spokane denied appeal

SPOKANE — A federal judge has denied an appeal by a man serving a 32-year prison sentence for planting a bomb along the route of the Martin Luther King Day parade in Spokane in 2011.

U.S. District Court Judge Justin Quackenbush on Monday threw out the latest appeal from Kevin Harpham.

The Spokesman-Review reported that Harpham, 41, is scheduled for release in 2039.

Harpham pleaded guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and hate crimes in September 2011, eight months after police discovered the explosive placed along the parade route.

The most recent appeal was filed by Harpham in May, more than a year after the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed his argument that he had been coerced into taking the plea deal by his attorneys.

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