Court denies appeal in slaying

BOISE (AP) - The Idaho Court of Appeals has rejected an appeal by a man who has already spent 31 years in prison for shooting another man outside a North Idaho bar.

The court ruled Tuesday in the case of William Franklin Wolfe, who was convicted of first-degree murder in 1982 and is serving a life sentence in the fatal shooting of Scott Gold.

Wolfe appealed in 2004, arguing his sentence was illegal because a state court lacked jurisdiction in the case. Wolfe claimed new evidence showed Gold was a tribal member, meaning the case should have been handled in federal court.

Nez Perce tribal officials said no records existed showing Gold was a member.

The appeal was initially rejected by a lower court, and the high court justices unanimously affirmed that decision.