02-12-2014, 08:49 PM
More delays in penalty retrial expected - this time due to prosecution conflicts
The March 17th penalty retrial date set for convicted killer Jodi Arias has been put aside because of a conflict prosecutor Juan Martinez has with another potential death-penalty trial.
Martinez is supposed to begin trial May 12 for Bryan Hulsey, 40, who is charged with the 2007 murder of Glendale Police officer Anthony Holly. The Hulsey trial has been repeatedly postponed.
The Hulsey case is the oldest capital murder case in the county awaiting trial.
On Feb. 19, 2007, Officer Holly, 24, was providing backup for another officer after they made a routine traffic stop of a car in which Hulsey wa a passenger. When Hulsey was ordered out of the car, he pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Holly to death.
But defense attorney after defense attorney dropped the case, each time pushing the trial further back in time. It is now set for May 12 before Judge Joseph Kreamer.
Today's hearing was intended to resolve any possible conflict between the two cases. Martinez, who is on medical leave for undisclosed reasons, attended the hearing via telephone.
Martinez mentioned that the Arias trial might further bump back the Hulsey trial unless another prosecutor were appointed to it. One of Martinez’ supervisors, who was present in the courtroom, said that wouldn’t happen.
Welty ruled that Hulsey’s trial would go first because it was the older of the two. Welty left the rescheduling of the Arias trial to Judge Stephens.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/...ck_check=1
The March 17th penalty retrial date set for convicted killer Jodi Arias has been put aside because of a conflict prosecutor Juan Martinez has with another potential death-penalty trial.
Martinez is supposed to begin trial May 12 for Bryan Hulsey, 40, who is charged with the 2007 murder of Glendale Police officer Anthony Holly. The Hulsey trial has been repeatedly postponed.
The Hulsey case is the oldest capital murder case in the county awaiting trial.
On Feb. 19, 2007, Officer Holly, 24, was providing backup for another officer after they made a routine traffic stop of a car in which Hulsey wa a passenger. When Hulsey was ordered out of the car, he pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Holly to death.
But defense attorney after defense attorney dropped the case, each time pushing the trial further back in time. It is now set for May 12 before Judge Joseph Kreamer.
Today's hearing was intended to resolve any possible conflict between the two cases. Martinez, who is on medical leave for undisclosed reasons, attended the hearing via telephone.
Martinez mentioned that the Arias trial might further bump back the Hulsey trial unless another prosecutor were appointed to it. One of Martinez’ supervisors, who was present in the courtroom, said that wouldn’t happen.
Welty ruled that Hulsey’s trial would go first because it was the older of the two. Welty left the rescheduling of the Arias trial to Judge Stephens.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/...ck_check=1