JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's top lawyer has appealed a judge's decision to throw out burglary and assault convictions against a man whose case has been championed by WNBA star Maya Moore.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt this week asked the state's Western District Court of Appeals to reverse the ruling that overturned the convictions of Jonathon Irons.
A lower court judge earlier this month agreed there is enough evidence to prove Irons was wrongfully convicted in the 1997 non-fatal shooting of a homeowner in the St. Louis area.
Schmitt's office argues that Cole County Circuit Court Judge Dan Greene abused his discretion in tossing out the convictions.
Irons is a family friend of Moore, who helped draw attention to his attorneys' efforts to get the case another look.
Minnesota Lynx star Moore put her career on hold last season to help Irons. The four-time WNBA champion said last month she planned to sit out a second season. She told the AP those plans haven't changed despite the court ruling.