No dark days allowed for jury trials and only Russ Clanton protests in court

 

(Vitolo)

(Upshaw)

 

Today, at trial assignment, two cases scheduled for jury trial on May 3 were assigned to Judge Kelly Neel. 

Attorneys were to meet with Judge Neel late morning. Since Deputy Public Defender David Celli is in doing closing arguments in another trial today, the attorneys will meet with Judge Neel on Monday. His case is the number one case so not sure what the point of today's meeting is, unless other cases resolve.  

Judge Christopher Wilson said, no dark days allowed in any trial and the only one to protest that was Mr. Russ Clanton. We would all like it if Humboldt Superior Court would accomodate our life and schedule and Mr. Clanton can just deal. 

Cases are now being assigned to Judges, and in some courtrooms, with three or four cases assigned and "trailing."

One was Waterfront  explosion suspect Darin Vitolo. Deputy District Attorney Luke Bernthal is the prosecutor for this jury trial. Deputy Public Defender David Celli is Vitolo's attorney. That is the number 1 case.

Alleged rapist and former HSU student Darius Upshaw's case is #4. Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Schaffer is the prosecutor. Mr. Russ Clanton is Upshaw's attorney. Out of state witnesses need to be quarantined. Ms. Schaffer said flights have not been booked yet and she was told this discussion about out of state witnesses needs to happen with the assigned Judge.

Related posts:

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/04/no-bail-to75-000-bail-for-waterfront.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/04/former-hsu-student-darrius-upshaws.html?m=1