Found Deceased AZ - Isabella Grogan-Cannella, 8, Bullhead City, 2 September 2014 *Arrest* - #5

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Ugh. Yet another status hearing and another motion:

February 20 motion to determine counsel. Rector is asking that the team assigned to him be kept even though they were contracted as death penalty counsel. For once I agree. By keeping Cassels (Quinn Jolly has been dismissed), the mitigation specialist (previously dismissed), the investigator (who's been on the case for over two years) and paralegal, it avoids another year of new counsel etc. examining the mountain of documents and recordings.

Currently there's a whopping 1250+ pages of discovery plus hundreds of hours of recorded witness statements and interviews and also surveillance video. To start from scratch guarantees a delay of another year at least.

One issue is the budget. Counsel in capital murder cases charge more so it remains to be seen if they will be kept on at a higher per hour fee. Also, both the Mohave County Public Defender's Office and the Legal Defender's Office previously withdrew because of conflicts of interest (most likely both offices have defended witnesses in Bella's case on other charges in the past). So the county would have to once again seek out counsel in the legal community.

IOW, it's a huge cluster-you-know-what that's gonna eat up yet more time and money before Rector faces a jury. Just plead guilty Rector - you know you are! :furious:

https://www.mohavecourts.com/highprofile/highprofileRector.htm
 
Just another update on the never-ending motions and hearings in Rector's case. The latest is that the defense counsel wants more evidence disclosed. The former ME has also come under fire for her lack of notes on the case. Now there are complaints about passwords and the possibility that some evidence has not been disclosed.

Judge "I'll let this go on forever" Jantzen wants it wrapped up in 30 days. Uh huh, right. Next Omnibus hearing is scheduled for July 30 at 11 am.

The only good news is that Ralph and Tanya are still in jail on their drug charges. So justice is being served in a minor way. Rector has managed to avoid the death penalty and I have fears that before this case is concluded he won't even get LWOP.

Rector’s defense wants full disclosure of evidence

The defense attorney for first-degree murder suspect Justin James Rector is asking for more evidence to be disclosed before setting a trial date, including recordings and data from all electronic devices confiscated by police during the investigation.

Julia Cassels filed a motion to compel prosecutors to turn over specific items related to medical examiner records, content of electronic devices and documents from the FBI.

She said there were at least eight cell phones, computers, tablets and other devices seized by the state, and she wants to review the contents of all those devices. SMDH.

During a court hearing Monday, Cassels told Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen that records from the medical examiner were “woefully lacking” compared with past medical records that she has received in murder cases.
Click to expand...
Judicial Branch of Arizona - County of Mohave
 
This case is so sad and I'm running out of patience. Poor, abused, murdered Bella may never get the justice she deserves.

Rector and his lawyers are running around in circles to keep this case going past all memory of Bella.

A recent junket to Laughlin, NV took me into the Bullhead City airport. When I realized where I was and saw the bleakness there, I got so terribly depressed about little Bella. I'm not going back. I'll just hope this trial gets started.
 
July 31 - Judge Jantzen wonders if he should be more aggressive about setting the trial date. SMDH. What atrocious disregard for Bella's family. This judge needs to be removed. Next hearing September 7.
“It’s certainly frustrating from everyone’s perspective,” Jantzen said toward the end of Monday’s status conference. “This thing’s been drawn out for four years since the date of the incident. Maybe I need to be more aggressive.”
Click to expand...
After 4 years, child kidnap, rape and murder case still delayed
August 8 - Prosecutor says Defense counsel is holding up the trial by refusing to give any dates for witness interviews.
Deputy Mohave County Attorney Greg McPhillips filed a motion late Tuesday giving the judge notice that the victim’s family is requesting a speedy trial. He also filed a motion asking the judge to set a trial date at Rector’s next hearing.

McPhillips said that at a July 30 hearing, Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen ordered that both sides set up times for interviews. The defense attorney is refusing to give any dates for the interviews, McPhillips said

McPhillips said he provided Rector’s attorneys a list of his witnesses to interview in 2014, 2015 and again on Tuesday. There are about 100 witnesses to interview. With the defense refusing to take part, the prosecutor is asking to waive the interviews, which are time consuming.
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Prosecutor requests Rector trial date be set
August 10 - Defense attorney says prosecutor's misrepresenting the facts.
Prosecutor urges trial date in Bullhead City girl’s death

Judicial Branch of Arizona - County of Mohave
 
Well the only thing moving right along in Rector's trial is the judge approving $2500 more to pay his defense attorney. Everything else is stalled out.

So far his defense has cost $883,366!!!

IMO Rector's attorney Julia Cassels is using any tactic she can to squeeze more money out of the county.
Judge approves $2,500 funding increase for Rector defense
Cassels recently filed a motion seeking the disclosure of more evidence, including items seized by the Bullhead City Police Department and FBI. She also wants any photographs and items taken from a dumpster at the T-Mobile store on Highway 95.

Cassels also asked McPhillips to disclose information on the seizure of electronic devices in the investigation of drug cases against Grogan-Cannella’s parents, Tania Grogan and Ralph Folster III. She also countered McPhillips’ claim that she has not provided dates to set up interviews, providing him dates in August and September.
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Prosecutors accuse Rector attorney of delaying trial
Judicial Branch of Arizona - County of Mohave
What a dog and pony show. McPhillips might as well have kept the death penalty on the table.
 
Jantzen agreed and set Rector’s trial to begin April 29, with a pre-trial hearing set for April 5. The judge also set a status hearing for Oct. 19.

Rector’s attorney, Julia Cassels, opposed setting a trial date, arguing that she has been working on the case by herself since the primary counsel withdrew in February after McPhillips withdrew the death penalty. Cassels, who was second chair in the capital murder case, was first assigned to the case in July 2016.

April trial date set in slaying of 8-year-old girl
 
Oh FFS:
In a surprise move Tuesday, a Bullhead City man accused of the 2014 murder of an 8-year-oid girl asked the judge to allow him to represent himself in both of his cases.

After 4-1/2 years and a half-dozen defense attorneys, Justin James Rector stood up in court and informed Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen that he wants to represent himself in his two criminal cases.
...
Rector’s attorney, Julia Cassels, said she has concerns with his competency and asked the judge for an outside counsel to speak to Rector on the drawbacks of representing himself. A mental health evaluation also might be appropriate, she said.
Girl's accused killer seeks to act as his own attorney

Prosecutor McPhillips said if the judge grants the motion the trial will go forward and he won't agree to continue it if Rector changes his mind and wants another attorney.

This is the case that just keeps on giving... more money, more money, more money and now a clown show. Defense attorney Cassels not surprisingly brought up mental competency again and suggested an evaluation may be in order. Oh. Gee. Surprise.
Judicial Branch of Arizona - County of Mohave
Justin James Rector wants to represent himself at trial

What a joke. The case has turned into a circus sideshow with everyone but Bella's interests in mind. Money, procrastination and a judge who apparently can't put his foot down to stop these antics. MOO.

Status hearing December 18.
P.S. Cost so far approaching a million dollars!
Cost of defense for suspect nears $1 million
 
MsMarple said:
Oh FFS:
In a surprise move Tuesday, a Bullhead City man accused of the 2014 murder of an 8-year-oid girl asked the judge to allow him to represent himself in both of his cases.

After 4-1/2 years and a half-dozen defense attorneys, Justin James Rector stood up in court and informed Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen that he wants to represent himself in his two criminal cases.
...
Rector’s attorney, Julia Cassels, said she has concerns with his competency and asked the judge for an outside counsel to speak to Rector on the drawbacks of representing himself. A mental health evaluation also might be appropriate, she said.
Girl's accused killer seeks to act as his own attorney

Prosecutor McPhillips said if the judge grants the motion the trial will go forward and he won't agree to continue it if Rector changes his mind and wants another attorney.

This is the case that just keeps on giving... more money, more money, more money and now a clown show. Defense attorney Cassels not surprisingly brought up mental competency again and suggested an evaluation may be in order. Oh. Gee. Surprise.
Judicial Branch of Arizona - County of Mohave
Justin James Rector wants to represent himself at trial

What a joke. The case has turned into a circus sideshow with everyone but Bella's interests in mind. Money, procrastination and a judge who apparently can't put his foot down to stop these antics. MOO.

Status hearing December 18.
P.S. Cost so far approaching a million dollars!
Cost of defense for suspect nears $1 million
Click to expand...

This is unbelievable, MsMarple. Thank you for the update.
 
Say what? Justin Rector wants to plead guilty.

Rector told Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen on Tuesday that he wants to forgo appointed counsel and represent himself in further legal proceedings. He confirmed that he wants to remove lawyer Julia Cassels and defense investigator James Valdez from his case because they’ve not allowed him to resolve it with a guilty plea.

Rector declined to provide a confession and details of the killing of his friend’s daughter, but he made it clear he does not wish to proceed to trial.
Arizona man charged in girl’s death still wants guilty plea

So he wants to represent himself in order to plead guilty? But he declined to confess and explain what happened when he murdered Bella? Maybe the December 18 hearing will clear htings up.
Judicial Branch of Arizona - County of Mohave
 
OH-MY-GOSH ... let him plead guilty and get it over with already! Almost five years and a million dollars later?!! This case is so absurd and frustrating to me I quit reading about it two years ago.
 
Rector asks to withdraw guilty plea. A month after pleading guilty to the 2014 murder of Isabella Grogan-Cannella -- and just over a week before he was expected to be sentenced to life in prison -- Jason Rector has asked the court to withdraw his plea.

On Wednesday, a brief note from Rector was delivered to the judge in the case saying the plea agreement was unjust and asking for a chance to explain. A hearing has been scheduled for Monday in Kingman; sentencing had been scheduled for Jan. 30.
Mohave Valley Daily News
 
Knox said:
Rector asks to withdraw guilty plea. A month after pleading guilty to the 2014 murder of Isabella Grogan-Cannella -- and just over a week before he was expected to be sentenced to life in prison -- Jason Rector has asked the court to withdraw his plea.

On Wednesday, a brief note from Rector was delivered to the judge in the case saying the plea agreement was unjust and asking for a chance to explain. A hearing has been scheduled for Monday in Kingman; sentencing had been scheduled for Jan. 30.
Mohave Valley Daily News
Click to expand...
Oh FFS! He did this once before, in 2015. So far he's gotten rid of the DP, made a guilty plea where he doesn't have to say what he did to Bella, hired and fired lawyers, delayed the case for years through more motions than I can count and now he doesn't like his agreement?? He got all the charges except murder dropped and he'll be eligible for parole in 35 years. What more does he want?

An alleged child killer in Arizona who fired his defense team and entered a plea agreement to avoid trial is trying to back out of the deal.
...
In court documents, Rector stated that he is entitled to withdraw from the plea deal due to a “reasonable manifest injustice” that he did not specify. He said he would explain the alleged injustice when provided opportunity.
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Arizona man accused of killing child wants to withdraw plea
His plea agreement can be found here, along with other court docs:
Judicial Branch of Arizona - County of Mohave

Heck, if this keeps up he'll end up with 6 weeks of community service. IMO the judge should have reined Rector and his band of lawyers in 3 years ago. He and the DA could have put a stop to the shenanigans way back. MOO.
 
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