Public Defender

SOUTH BEND — The sentencing for a 21-year-old man convicted of voluntary manslaughter has been postponed until next month. Wesley Willis has been set for sentencing several times since a jury convicted him in December for his role in the 2009 death of 24-year-old Veranica Perez. The woman was shot to death as she stood with friends in the 1000 block of Milton Street. Because of conflict of interests in the past few months, two public defenders have had to withdraw from representing Willis.

SOUTH BEND — The sentencing for a 21-year-old man convicted of voluntary manslaughter has been delayed due to a public defender conflict. Wesley Willis was scheduled to be sentenced this morning for his role in the 2009 death of 24-year-old Veranica Perez. Willis was convicted by a jury in December of shooting Perez as she stood with friends in the 1000 block of Milton Street in South Bend. After the trial, Willis’ public defender had to resign due to a conflict with the case and another public defender was appointed.

SOUTH BEND — The sentencing for one of five teenagers charged in the violent carjacking against two Holy Cross College students has been rescheduled. Donte Jones, 18, was set to be sentenced this morning after previously pleading guilty to beating and robbing the victims in September 2009. However, Jones’ public defender this morning indicated that he had to withdraw from the case because of a conflict. Jones will next appear in court on Nov. 16 where he will be appointed a new public defender.

SOUTH BEND — A judge Tuesday postponed sentencing one of the five teenagers charged in the violent carjacking of two Holy Cross College students because his court-appointed public defender wanted more time to review the case. It was the second time in just more than a month that sentencing was delayed for 18-year-old Donte Jones. He had been scheduled for sentencing Nov. 8, but his initial public defender withdrew from the case, citing a conflict of interest.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A New Mexico man indicted on charges that he handed out a semen-tainted yogurt sample at a grocery store will remain behind bars pending his trial. Police say 32-year-old Anthony Garcia was linked to the yogurt through DNA samples. A federal judge ruled Friday that Garcia is a danger to the community and should remain in custody without bail. He was indicted on charges of adulterating food and making false statements to federal investigators.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A friend of the Florida teen accused of killing his parents with a hammer tells police the suspect stood behind his mother for about five minutes, contemplating her killing before ultimately plunging the tool into her head. The unidentified police tipster says 17-year-old Tyler Hadley told him his mother screamed "Why?" as she was bludgeoned. He says Hadley's father then entered the room and locked eyes with his son before he was attacked.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A judge in Ohio gives defendants what sounds like homework assignments as a part of probation sentences. Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Stacy Cook in Toledo has ordered offenders to write five-page reports on topics including teen violence, drug use and head injuries. The judge tells The Blade newspaper her goal is to get defendants thinking about why what they did was wrong and how it hurt others. The Blade reports Cook has told as many as 30 people to write papers since she took the bench in 2007.

A teenager accused of murdering his elderly neighbor inside her Mishawaka home now has an attorney. William Karimu, 19, is accused of killing 84-year-old Lois Hickey last December. Monday morning Karimu appeared in St. Joseph County Court, and a judge appointed a public defender and set new court dates for pre-trial hearings. Karimu is accused of breaking into Hickey's home and stabbing her to death. He grew up one door down from Hickey. Investigators say the key to solving this case was DNA. Police say they found blood on a broken window of the home and matched it to Karimu.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - A public defender for a man charged with killing a southern Indiana pizza delivery driver and shooting one other person says his client wasn't sane during the spree. The Herald-Times reports ( http://bit.ly/w7h1ue ) attorney Michael Spencer filed a notice of insanity defense on behalf of his client James David Finney. Police say Finney broke into a Bloomington tobacco store, shot a woman walking her dog and killed the pizza delivery man in the parking lot of a Pizza X store in November.

SOUTH BEND — A judge Wednesday sentenced the second of three defendants charged in the brutal beating of a Clay Township man to 40 years in prison. Dominic Smallwood, 27, pleaded guilty to Class A felony robbery in connection with the incident. He faced between 20 and 50 years in prison for the crime. Prosecutors say co-defendant Amy Gulbranson, 30, lived in the man’s home and had some type of relationship with him. She brought Smallwood and Howard Kindred into the home on Sept.

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP) - A convicted sex offender accused of sexually assaulting and killing a 17-year-old southern Indiana girl said Thursday that he didn't plan the crime but "lost control" after the girl resisted his advances. Richard Hooten, 49, of Clarksville also said he didn't realize how young Tara Willenborg was. "I just lost it in my head. I just lost control," Hooten told reporters gathered at the Clark County Sheriff's Office, the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., reported ( http://cjky.it/14z1qkr )

A teenager accused of murdering his elderly neighbor inside her Mishawaka home now has an attorney. William Karimu, 19, is accused of killing 84-year-old Lois Hickey last December. Monday morning Karimu appeared in St. Joseph County Court, and a judge appointed a public defender and set new court dates for pre-trial hearings. Karimu is accused of breaking into Hickey's home and stabbing her to death. He grew up one door down from Hickey. Investigators say the key to solving this case was DNA. Police say they found blood on a broken window of the home and matched it to Karimu.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - A public defender for a man charged with killing a southern Indiana pizza delivery driver and shooting one other person says his client wasn't sane during the spree. The Herald-Times reports ( http://bit.ly/w7h1ue ) attorney Michael Spencer filed a notice of insanity defense on behalf of his client James David Finney. Police say Finney broke into a Bloomington tobacco store, shot a woman walking her dog and killed the pizza delivery man in the parking lot of a Pizza X store in November.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - An employee at an Ohio Big Boy restaurant is charged with pouring animal medication into customer coffee with the intent to poison. The Blade newspaper reports ( http://bit.ly/sRU1CO ) 36-year-old Edwin Ledgard told Toledo police that he had a delusion to kill customers. A police report says the Toledo man went to the Frisch's Big Boy on his day off on Friday and poured into a pot of coffee a drug called Dextran, which is used to treat anemia in baby pigs.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A friend of the Florida teen accused of killing his parents with a hammer tells police the suspect stood behind his mother for about five minutes, contemplating her killing before ultimately plunging the tool into her head. The unidentified police tipster says 17-year-old Tyler Hadley told him his mother screamed "Why?" as she was bludgeoned. He says Hadley's father then entered the room and locked eyes with his son before he was attacked.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A New Mexico man indicted on charges that he handed out a semen-tainted yogurt sample at a grocery store will remain behind bars pending his trial. Police say 32-year-old Anthony Garcia was linked to the yogurt through DNA samples. A federal judge ruled Friday that Garcia is a danger to the community and should remain in custody without bail. He was indicted on charges of adulterating food and making false statements to federal investigators.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A judge in Ohio gives defendants what sounds like homework assignments as a part of probation sentences. Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Stacy Cook in Toledo has ordered offenders to write five-page reports on topics including teen violence, drug use and head injuries. The judge tells The Blade newspaper her goal is to get defendants thinking about why what they did was wrong and how it hurt others. The Blade reports Cook has told as many as 30 people to write papers since she took the bench in 2007.

SOUTH BEND — A judge Wednesday sentenced the second of three defendants charged in the brutal beating of a Clay Township man to 40 years in prison. Dominic Smallwood, 27, pleaded guilty to Class A felony robbery in connection with the incident. He faced between 20 and 50 years in prison for the crime. Prosecutors say co-defendant Amy Gulbranson, 30, lived in the man’s home and had some type of relationship with him. She brought Smallwood and Howard Kindred into the home on Sept.

SOUTH BEND — A judge Tuesday postponed sentencing one of the five teenagers charged in the violent carjacking of two Holy Cross College students because his court-appointed public defender wanted more time to review the case. It was the second time in just more than a month that sentencing was delayed for 18-year-old Donte Jones. He had been scheduled for sentencing Nov. 8, but his initial public defender withdrew from the case, citing a conflict of interest.

SOUTH BEND — The sentencing for one of five teenagers charged in the violent carjacking against two Holy Cross College students has been rescheduled. Donte Jones, 18, was set to be sentenced this morning after previously pleading guilty to beating and robbing the victims in September 2009. However, Jones’ public defender this morning indicated that he had to withdraw from the case because of a conflict. Jones will next appear in court on Nov. 16 where he will be appointed a new public defender.