TACOMA -- Steven Powell has formally appealed his voyeurism conviction and sentence, renewing his attack on the search warrant that West Valley City police served on his home.
In court documents obtained by FOX 13 on Monday, Powell's lawyers filed a formal notice of appeal to Washington state courts. FOX 13 also obtained an indigency form, where he detailed the grounds that he is appealing his voyeurism conviction and 30 month sentence.
Powell is apparently renewing his claims that the search of his home was illegal. West Valley City police and Pierce County Sheriff's deputies served a warrant looking for clues in connection with Susan Cox Powell's disappearance when they stumbled upon the thousands of inappropriate images that Steven Powell is accused of taking.
It led to the charges filed against Powell, who was later convicted by a jury on 14 counts of voyeurism. On Friday, the judge overseeing the case dismissed two of the counts after the defense argued many of the images presented to the jury were essentially the same.
Powell is the father-in-law of Susan Cox Powell, who disappeared from her West Valley City home in 2009. Her husband, Josh Powell, was the police's "person of interest" in the case. He killed himself and their children in an explosion and fire at a Washington state home in February.
Steven Powell claims he has no money for lawyers for his appeals. In the filing, he said he only has a van and a home. He may not have that for much longer. Prior to his sentencing, Anne Bremner, a lawyer for the teenage girls in the voyeurism case, filed a civil lawsuit against him for invasion of privacy.
"There's some restitution that they'll need for counseling," Bremner told FOX 13 on Friday. "They'll need money, some justice for damages. I think now that the sentence was less than they wanted, there's probably more of an impetus to want to continue with this case."
Bremner also represents Susan Cox Powell's family and has threatened litigation against West Valley City police over their handling of the missing person's case, and Washington's child welfare system over the deaths of Charlie and Braden Powell.
