So, the public defenders messed up previously? As I recall the last death penalty case in Chattannoga was Michael McCormick. These public defenders got a not guilty verdict on that one. The one before that (defended by these public defenders and which Steelman helped prosecute) was the Julie Jacks case. The defendant did't get the death penalty in that one. In fact, he wasn't even found guilty of first degree murder. Seems more like a set-up to me and that the powers that be don't want Mathews to have a chance at slipping out of the death penalty at trial. Also, appointing attorneys who say, "Believe me, it’s not something we want to do" and who representeed the victim and other police in the past is a sure way to set up a technicality on a conflict of interest. Welcome to years of appeal on that one.
Judge ousts Mathews’ defense
So, the public defenders messed up previously? As I recall the last death penalty case in Chattannoga was Michael McCormick. These public defenders got a not guilty verdict on that one. The one before that (defended by these public defenders and which Steelman helped prosecute) was the Julie Jacks case. The defendant did't get the death penalty in that one. In fact, he wasn't even found guilty of first degree murder. Seems more like a set-up to me and that the powers that be don't want Mathews to have a chance at slipping out of the death penalty at trial. Also, appointing attorneys who say, "Believe me, it’s not something we want to do" and who representeed the victim and other police in the past is a sure way to set up a technicality on a conflict of interest. Welcome to years of appeal on that one.