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State Blamed for Delayed Murder Trial
The Illinois Department of Corrections has essentially been censured by a Knox County Judge for causing a potential delay in the case of an accused spree killer.

Knox County Circuit Judge James Stewart told attorneys in the trial of accused spree killer Nicholas Sheley Friday that, during a hearing closed to the media Thursday, he found the DOC to be in contempt of court.

Stewart said that's because the department failed to follow an order transporting Sheley for some sort of a defense-ordered meeting or procedure that wasn't publicly disclosed.

Stewart says DOC director Michael Randle was in court for the hearing. The judge believes that while Randle and his department didn't intend to do anything wrong, it has caused a potential delay of three to six months, which is, quote, "simply not acceptable" for a trial that's already slated to start early next year.

Stewart didn't say anything about any sort of sanction that would be imposed.

Friday, Stewart denied a defense motion for the appointment of a special prosecutor that would deal with so-called "ex parte" matters like that, despite attorney Jeremy Karlin's assertion that the contempt finding made it necessary.

Sheley faces about a dozen and a half murder and other felony charges for the death over two years ago of 65 year old Ronald Randall, and is suspected in other murders in Whiteside County and in Missouri.

Sheley will next be in court September 14th.


(Nicholas Sheley)
07 30 10 by Newsroom
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