Robert Davies had been representing himself at his murder trial. He told the jury he acted in self-defense when he fatally stabbed Lavern Paul Ritch in August 2007 in Margate, a South Jersey beach town just south of Atlantic City.
But on Tuesday afternoon, he told the judge he no longer wants to be his own lawyer. The judge warned that once the switch is made, there's no going back. Davies said he understands.
Davies says he thought Ritch, who was a contestant on the British version of the "American Gladiators" reality TV show, was part of a group bent on harming or killing him.
A public defender takes over on Wednesday.
