An Alabama man convicted of killing his wife in 2009 may be getting a new trial.

The former pastor was charged with murder after his wife was killed in 2005. In addition, the man faced forgery charges after depositing a loan solicitation check intended for his wife three months after she died.

Prosecutors tried the man on both charges because they claimed the charges were related. However, last year the Alabama Court of Appeals ruled that the judge presiding over the trial made an error when he allowed the man to face both charges during the trial.

Although a new trial should be underway, the attorney general's office has asked the Alabama Supreme Court to review the case. For now, everything is on hold until then.

During the man's trial, prosecutors claimed he was living a double life. They said he served as the pastor at a local church while pretending to be an officer in the Navy. They said he dated a woman from the west coast during that time and later married her.

The man maintained his innocence throughout the trial saying that his wife's death was an accident. Court documents indicate that the man's wife was shot in the back as the two carried in shotguns from the man's car.

The man was sentenced to life in prison for the murder conviction. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being found guilty of forgery.

Everyone, whether they live in Alabama or elsewhere, is entitled to a fair trial. Because the stakes are so high for this man, it is imperative that his right to a fair trial is upheld.

Source: The Birmingham News, "New trial on hold for Vincent pastor convicted of killing wife; AG wants Alabama Supreme Court review," Malcomb Daniels, Jan. 17, 2012