A judge in Carroll County, Indiana, has criticized the defense attorneys representing a man accused of killing two girls in Delphi, Indiana, calling them “sloppy, negligent, and incompetent.” However, the judge did not hold the attorneys in contempt.
The criticism from Special Judge Fran Gull is related to a hearing on March 18 where Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland filed a motion to hold defense attorneys Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi in contempt for an evidence leak and alleged violations of a gag order. Rozzi and Baldwin represent Richard Allen, the man accused of killing Abby Williams and Libby German near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi.
After an evidence leak that led to one man’s arrest and another man’s suicide, Gull initially removed Rozzi and Baldwin from the case, citing negligence. However, the Indiana Supreme Court reinstated the attorneys, stating that Allen had the right to choose his counsel.
Despite finding the defense team negligent and incompetent, Gull ruled that the prosecutor did not prove that their actions were “willful and intentional.” The defense team was also found not to have violated a gag order when speaking out about the case before it went into effect.
With the contempt charge dismissed, the defense team can now focus on the upcoming trial scheduled to begin in less than two weeks. Gull has scheduled a pretrial hearing for Tuesday to address any concerns before the trial starts on May 13.
