Hiroki Ito

Guilty pleas previously entered by a former Minot Public Schools paraprofessional accused of having inappropriate communications with middle school students have been withdrawn due to procedural errors at his change of plea hearing.

According to North Central District Court documents, Hiroki Ito, 27, Minot, and state prosecutors appeared at an Oct. 6 change of plea hearing.

While Ito’s guilty pleas were technically entered on an open basis and not negotiated as a part of the plea agreement, court documents indicate both parties agreed the state would cap its sentencing recommendation at three years of incarceration, and Ito would enter an Alford plea. In an Alford plea, a defendant maintains innocence but concedes prosecutors likely had enough evidence for a conviction at a t

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