In documents filed today with the Missouri Supreme Court, the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office argued that Memorial Middle School shooter Thomas Gregory White's case should remain in adult court.
The state's argument, as well as arguments filed earlier by White's public defenders, will be heard Feb. 28 by the Supreme Court.
The state disputed the public defenders' claims that Joplin attorney Chuck Lonardo provided an inadequate defense during White's initial hearings. "(Lonardo) provided sound trial strategy during the juvenile certification hearing," the brief said, and did not prejudice his client. "Given the weight of the evidence against (White) including statements from two credible and respected community leaders (Memorial Principal Steve Gilbreth and Joplin R-8 Assistant Superintendent Steve Doerr). It is reasonable to assume that (Lonardo) considered compliance with authorities as effective trial strategy."
The description of the case offered in the brief noted that White, 13 and a seventh grader at Memorial in October 2006 when the incident occurred, had brought an assault rifle into the school.
Gilbreth "heard a loud noise, went into the hallway and saw (White) wearing a makeshift mask and holding a gun." The teen pointed the gun at Gilbreth's head, the brief said, and White "had his finger on the trigger and made gestures as if he was jabbing the gun at him and then pulling back."
The brief also covered testimony from Juvenile Detention Officer Kimberly Comstock, who testified she "overheard White tell another boy he would have shot Gilbreth in the head, but his gun would not shoot."
(Photo by Ron Graber)
The briefs can be accessed at this link.
trial by blog.
ReplyDeleteComment by someone who obviously has not been paying attention. Not only do I provide a link to the statements of both sides, all of which are public information, but I ran an earlier post which ran almost the entire brief presented by Thomas Gregory White's public defender in its entirety.
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