Until at least Sept. 12, a Hamilton County defendant and his attorney will remain together despite several attempts to part ways before his upcoming murder trial.
Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman said today he wants more time to consider a motion that attorney Brandy Spurgin-Floyd filed last week for her client, Cortez Sims, the 19-year-old man accused of killing one and injuring three during a January 2015 shooting at College Hill Courts.
"I'm concerned there will be claims at a later point that Ms. Spurgin wasn't prepared for this hearing on the motions," Steelman said.
He said hopes to deal with the Sept. 27 trial date and outstanding issue of Sims wanting a new lawyer during the next court appearance.
Sims got the ball rolling earlier this month when he filed an official complaint with a state board, citing Spurgin-Floyd's inexperience. As a result, Spurgin-Floyd had to file a motion to get off the case, too.
Through two hearings on the matter, Steelman denied both of their requests, saying Sims never had an issue with his attorney's defense work until 60 days before his trial date.
Steelman added that Spurgin-Floyd appeared to be providing competent representation and has on multiple occasions asked Sims to give specific reasons for his frustration.
But the 19-year-old has either disobeyed the order or given generic reasons that aren't detrimental enough to appoint a new attorney, Steelman said.
During the last hearing earlier this week, prosecutors urged Steelman to hold to the earliest possible trial date to protect the state's witnesses.
"We are dealing with a case where one of the witnesses has already been murdered," prosecutor Lance Pope said. "Not died. Not passed away. Ms. Bianca Horton was murdered."
Horton was one of two witnesses who identified Sims as the shooter, Pope said. She was found dead in late May in the 2100 block of Elder Street from multiple gunshot wounds.
This is a developing story. Check back later for more details.