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| PRIOR TO THE VERDICT: Sheley Jailhouse Assault Case Goes to Jury; Sheley Still Upset with Trial |
First Aired at 11:30 A-M, Updated 1:09pm 9/23/9 The closing arguments have been made, the jury has received its instructions and all that's left is to wait for the verdict in the Knox County jailhouse assault trial involving a Sterling man.
The prosecution presented its case Tuesday before Knox County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Mathers, and Public Defender Jim Harrell made his arguments Wednesday in Knox County Circuit court.
30-year old Nicholas Sheley is charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault and criminal damage to property for an alleged altercation at the jail last April.
The prosecution argued it's clear Sheley did what he's charged with based on the evidence and testimony presented in court. Harrell countered by saying the accounts of what happened from jail employees who took the stand were inconsistent.
Sheley again expressed his unhappiness with Harrell, criticizing how the attorney handled the case - among other things - and Sheley said he expects to be found guilty.
"If this is the court's idea of effective representation, it's no wonder the penitentiaries are so full," Sheley said outside the presence of the jury.
Among other things Sheley said:
"90 percent of the jury knows John Pepmeyer personally or one of the officers involved. You call that a random sampling?"
"No doubt you get what you pay for here. Nothing. Then again, when you don't have an opportunity to make a phone call to hire private counsel, what do you excpect?"
"No private attorney would represent me like you did."
"I hope your closing arguments are better prepared than the opening and the cross-examination," Sheley said to Harrell.
"See if you can get that right this time around," Sheley said, presumably to members of the media.
"That was the roast of Jim Harrell. Pretty funny."
Sheley also used a four-letter expletive to again describe the legal system and his rights.
The jury got the case late Wednesday morning. When a verdict is reached we'll let you know on WGIL AM 1400 and online at www.wgil.com.
(Nicholas Sheley. WGIL News File Photo.) |
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| 09 23 09 by Newsroom |
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