Leavenworth ? An inmate accused of escaping from the Lansing Correctional Facility by hiding in a dog crate has asked for a new attorney.

Leavenworth County Atty. Frank Kohl said he had been ready to proceed with a preliminary hearing Wednesday for John Michael Manard. But defense attorney Michael Willcott told Kohl his client wanted a new lawyer.

Kohl said Manard, 27, apparently was unhappy with the advice he was receiving.

Manard is scheduled to appear in court with his new lawyer at 9 a.m. Oct. 13. Kohl said a new date for a preliminary hearing probably will be set then.

Manard, who is serving a life sentence on an earlier murder conviction, is charged with aggravated escape and trafficking contraband in a correctional institution.

He is alleged to have hidden in a dog crate used by the Safe Harbor prison dog program. The crate was loaded into a Safe Harbor van by other inmates and driven away from the prison Feb. 12 by dog trainer Toby Young.

Manard and Young were caught in Tennessee two weeks later.