A defense lawyer was held in contempt of court and booked into the New Orleans jail Thursday immediately after he unsuccessful to seem in courtroom earlier in the 7 days for a scheduled murder demo.
The demo, which was slated to kick off Monday, was eventually continued immediately after other protection attorneys asked for additional time to put together and a witness who was in surgical procedure was unavailable to testify.
Prison District Court docket Decide Kimya Holmes
Orleans Parish District Prison Courtroom Choose Kimya Holmes asked Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office environment deputies to arrest Stavros Panagoulopoulos just after he unsuccessful to show up in court docket for the scheduled trial of his client, Christopher Patterson. Patterson, together with co-defendant Gerald Barnes, is charged with 2nd-degree murder in the April 2018 capturing loss of life of 23-yr-old Alfred Johnson.
Panagoulopoulos left Holmes’ courtroom Monday symbolize yet another defendant in a different murder trial in Jefferson Parish — the demo of Leonidas Lowry, charged with second-degree murder in the 2016 slaying of Ethan Allen in Gretna. Voir dire, or jury assortment, experienced begun in that demo and Panagoulopoulos’ wanted to go to, reported defense Anthony Angelette, who also represents Lowry.
But just after learning Panagoulopoulos was in another trial, a court transcript exhibits that Holmes replied, “That’s not my issue,” prior to demanding that the trial shift forward.
She questioned deputies to “go find Mr. Panagoulopoulos,” adding that, “if he has to arrive in this article in handcuffs, I really do not treatment.” Holmes then advised Panagoulopoulos’ absence was a racial slight.
“All I’m expressing is this,” Holmes informed the court docket. “If I was a white person or a white woman, I’m quite sure the cure I would be receiving from the defense lawyers would be diverse.”
Pursuing his contempt of courtroom hearing Thursday, Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office environment documents show Panagoulopoulos was booked into jail on a 24-hour hold. He was also fined $100.
In a ruling submitted Thursday, Holmes wrote that courtroom employees texted Panagoulopoulos to talk to him to return to court, but he declined, declaring that “he was needed to attend one more make any difference.” Court docket personnel also texted Panagoulopoulos to notify him that an attachment had been issued for his arrest, according to the ruling.
Lawyer Barry Ranshi, who represented Panagoulopoulos at Thursday’s hearing, declined to comment.
Holmes did not return calls and emails for comment Thursday afternoon. In her ruling, Holmes wrote that Panagoulopoulos “exhibited insolence, unprofessionalism and a willful disregard for the purchase of this courtroom.”
Monday’s court transcript signifies that Holmes was worried about advancing Barnes’ and Patterson’s demo, which experienced been established and moved several times due to the fact their arrests almost four a long time in the past.
“I was elected to shift this docket. I believe this person deserves his day in court,” Holmes explained, referring to Barnes, and addressing her feedback to Barnes’ attorneys, community defenders Brian Woods and James Miller. “I imagine the victim’s family members justifies their day in courtroom.”
Woods and Miller, nonetheless, questioned for a continuance immediately after a plea deal with prosecutors fell aside soon ahead of the demo. Assistant District Legal professional Samantha Stagias joined their request.
“We were being all less than the effect we have been going to go ahead with that plea currently,” she said.
The trial was ongoing and reset for April immediately after Houses uncovered that a witness, a law enforcement officer, was in operation and would be unavailable to occur to courtroom to testify all 7 days.
In her ruling Thursday, Holmes wrote that Panagoulopoulos’ consumer, Patterson, was “prevented from possessing his jury trial thanks to the actions of Mr. Panagoulopoulos, who unilaterally and devoid of the court’s permission chose to leave.”
Editor’s Notice: An before model of this article misspelled the identify of the legal professional representing Stavros Panagoulopoulos. He is Barry Ranshi.