The man convicted of killing Mercer law student Lauren Giddings has filed a writ of habeas corpus.
The four grounds detailed in the 73-page document filed Tuesday in Richmond County say the state violated Stephen McDaniel's 4th, 5th, 6th and 14th Amendment rights.
A bulk of the petition contains supporting facts and transcripts of evidentiary hearings.
Giddings was murdered in June 2011 by her classmate and neighbor, Stephen McDaniel. He pleaded guilty in 2014 and was sentenced to life in prison.
WMAZ spoke to McDaniel's defense attorney, Frank Hogue, about his client's filing.
Hogue said he was not surprised it was filed because they happen all the time and he figured McDaniel would file one.
When Hogue was asked why he didn't pursue any action against former Bibb DA Greg Winters, Hogue said there was no violation of privacy.
He says inmates do not get the right to privacy, except for things said or written to their lawyers and that he's never seen a DA do something like what Cooke described, but there wasn't any action he could take and no remedy to pursue.
He said motions are filed to seek remedy for a wrongdoing and there was no remedy he could ask the judge for that would make any sense or have any kind of impact.
Hogue noted that none of the writs of habeas corpus he's seen filed after cases he's worked on have been granted or gone to a trial.
The entirety of McDaniel's filing can be viewed below.
McDaniel Habeas Petition by 13WMAZ on Scribd