Criminal trial scheduling including pre-trial hearings, conferences

Hello Analytical,

It is good to see you.

IMO, the blood of Sheri, Gavin and Garrett cry out for the death penalty. The article you mentioned had the following:

>>1.) The defendant has been convicted of murdering two or more individuals and the deaths were the result of an intent to kill more than one person.

2.) That the murdered individuals were under 12-years of age and the deaths resulted in exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty.

3.) That the murders were committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner pursuant to a preconceived plan, scheme or design to take a human life by unlawful means, and the conduct of the defendant created a reasonable expectation that the death of a human being would result.<<

I believe that the above will be found to be yes, yes and yes.
 
Hey there Analytical,

Thanks for the update article.

I was looking up what a status hearing is (Aug 26th). It appears...

>>A status hearing is when the judge brings the lawyers and / or parties to court to go over the case management issues, such as time to complete discovery, outstanding motions, deadlines, time lines to trial, etc.

You should be prepared to tell the judge where the case is in the litigation process, and what other things you plan to do before trial.<<

It also seems that a plea can be changed at the status hearing. I don't think that is likely in this case, although who knows? If CC were to plead guilty, perhaps he could miss the death penalty and just take 3 life sentences without the possibility of parole. If he continues to court it is a crap shoot, I suppose. I can't imagine that CC thinks he will get off, but perhaps he figures he has to try -- the alternatives are not pretty.

Any specific thoughts on the case recently Analytical?

Wrinkles
 
I don't think Coleman plans to plead guilty, ever. His best chance for a long life is the death penalty. If he's given LWOP (or even a chance at parole), he'll be put in the general prison population. He might not last long, and it would not be a quick or pleasant death.

If he's under the DP, he's in segregation, his physical safety assured. He could outlive every single person in the case: his own parents, Sheri's family, Joyce Meyer. He could live a quiet, secluded life with zero responsibilities and the guarantee of a quick and relatively painless death--whenever that comes around.

No, he won't be pleading guilty.
 
Hallo Gang,

Anyone going to the status hearing today?
 
WATERLOO -- The attorney defending Christopher Coleman said in a hearing on Wednesday that he became involved in the case within hours of the murders of Coleman's wife and sons.

"I want to make clear that we have been involved within hours of the occurrence, not the charges, the occurrence," said William Margulis, who, along with his father Art Margulis, is representing Coleman.

William and Art Margulis are scheduled to attend a class on Oct. 29 so they can be certified to handle Illinois capital cases, a requirement implemented under former Gov. George Ryan's reforms enacted in 2001. Art and William Margulis both said they expect certification after the course completion.


Christopher Coleman sits in a police car at the Columbia Police Department after he was charged in May with the murder of his wife and two children. - Zia Nizami/BND
Art Margulis represented a defendant in a capital case in Macoupin County, but he said it was before lawyers were required to be certified.

Coleman responded to questions by St. Clair County Circuit Judge Milton Wharton, saying he was being treated well in Monroe County Jail, that his representation was "excellent" and that his attorneys "frequently" visited him to discuss the case.

<snipped>
http://www.bnd.com/372/story/897491.html

It is what it is, I spose.
 
"The next status hearing for Coleman is scheduled for Nov. 13. The pretrial is scheduled for Jan. 6.

The trial is expected to begin next spring or summer."

Source: Belleville News Democrat
 
Christopher Coleman says he is too poor to pay his legal fees and is asking a judge to declare him indigent.

Coleman, 32, lists his total debts and liabilities at $243,000, according to an affidavit filed on Thursday. The affidavit shows Coleman is upside down on the mortgage of his home in Columbia, Ill. The home's value is listed at $195,000. It currently has a $240,000 mortgage.

If a judge is convinced Coleman has no money, he could get access to the Illinois Capital Litigation Fund to pay the costs of his legal defense.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/9C9BD955AF0E727E8625
Coleman asks judge to rule he is poor; wants money from fund to pay for lawyers

http://www.bnd.com/news/crime/story/909157.htm

:puke:
 
:truce:His father, who is the pastor of Grace Church in Chester, Ill., will finally "see the light" of the enormity of the evidence and convince Chris (aka, the Beast) to plead guilty and alocute in open court as to the circumstances of the slaughter. That is the only way he will avoid the death penalty. KTBA. My sign off of KTBA stands for KeepTheBeastAlive. It is a message to the jailers of the beast to watch over him carefully to prevent an early exit from this earth by this vile beast. KTBA
 
:truce:His father, who is the pastor of Grace Church in Chester, Ill., will finally "see the light" of the enormity of the evidence and convince Chris (aka, the Beast) to plead guilty and alocute in open court as to the circumstances of the slaughter. That is the only way he will avoid the death penalty. KTBA. My sign off of KTBA stands for KeepTheBeastAlive. It is a message to the jailers of the beast to watch over him carefully to prevent an early exit from this earth by this vile beast. KTBA

BBM
What makes you think that will happen? I'd love to see it happen that way, but that family is too "holier than thou" to admit any wrongdoing. JMO
 
Hallo Who Knew,

Good to see you again! And gmh6419, welcome to Websleuths.

I thought I would check in to see if anyone had heard anything...

gmh6419, you could be right -- the jailer should keep an eye on CC, but it seems like if he were going to make an attempt on his life it might have happened before now. Would we have heard if he did?

As for his being encouraged to plead guilty, well we haven't seen that yet -- so if it happened, at what point might that occur? I had hoped that he would plead before the whole world had to hear the details of that which he did in court, via pictures etc. Would an admission of his guilt occur after the trial began and horrors started being spoken and shown?

All of this reminds me, have we heard anymore from Sheri's family's attornies? Has anyone ever heard whether CC's family turned in the material that they were asked for -- does anyone know? Also, there was a status hearing not long ago yes/no? Is anyone aware of what happened at that?

I got particularly frustrated trying to find newspaper articles -- Analytical was good enough to post what he/she was finding. Wish we had a crew of people in the MO area that could keep us updated on things.
 
Hallo Who Knew,

Good to see you again! And gmh6419, welcome to Websleuths.

I thought I would check in to see if anyone had heard anything...

gmh6419, you could be right -- the jailer should keep an eye on CC, but it seems like if he were going to make an attempt on his life it might have happened before now. Would we have heard if he did?

As for his being encouraged to plead guilty, well we haven't seen that yet -- so if it happened, at what point might that occur? I had hoped that he would plead before the whole world had to hear the details of that which he did in court, via pictures etc. Would an admission of his guilt occur after the trial began and horrors started being spoken and shown?

All of this reminds me, have we heard anymore from Sheri's family's attornies? Has anyone ever heard whether CC's family turned in the material that they were asked for -- does anyone know? Also, there was a status hearing not long ago yes/no? Is anyone aware of what happened at that?

I got particularly frustrated trying to find newspaper articles -- Analytical was good enough to post what he/she was finding. Wish we had a crew of people in the MO area that could keep us updated on things.

Here is a link the STLtoday.com website put together with many stories concerning this crime, as well as PDF documents. Coleman has been declared indigent and has been assigned new attorneys. The latest story on this link is of course, the one on top

http://www.stltoday.com/coleman

There was also a story in the Belleville News Democrat about Coleman's new attorney, that many saw as masterful legal maneuvering. It was about the Christian beliefs of Coleman's new attorney. Make of it what you will.

http://www.bnd.com/news/crime/story/921340.html
 
Hello lajr56,

Thanks for the links... I'm going to go have a read.

So...CC gets free lawyers because he is indigent BUT the other two high dollar lawyers are staying onboard -- not paid by the state. Well, someone is paying them, yes?
 
Hiya lajr56,

What a nice guy O'Gara is, eh? Maybe he can ask the authorities to exhume the ravaged bodies of Sheri and the children and have a look in their faces to see what he sees in them before he works on defending his client CC... Perhaps he can have a look at those faces every day before looking at CC's and heading to court to get "justice."

He is quoted as saying:

>>"You do it because you love being in front of a jury and getting justice."<<

Narcissist? Wants to be in front of a crowd getting all of the attention, wants to be seen by people per just how clever he is at maneuvering and arguing (twisting things, bait and switch artist)?

So...the guy likes attention, he likes the game of "I want to win." As far as "getting justice" -- see who else you can fool bubba -- for whom will he be seeking justice?

He needs to read this:

Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

CC didn't just "offend" he "offed" 3 people, 2 of them little children -- his own children.

>>O'Gara will get paid for representing Coleman from the Capital Litigation Trust Fund, earning $151 an hour, about $100 less than the rate for criminal defense lawyers.<<

Well, since he is so interested in all of this, and since the state is hurting for money, and since he is so pious -- why not take minimum wage for his work, or do it gratis? He didn't hop on board before he was given the state litigation money offer, did he? How about he tell the state to use that which he will earn to house CC's butt so that the people of the state don't have to do so.
 

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