Edwin Hall's attorneys accuse OP detective of lying

A statement that Overland Park strongly denies. It all stems back to the "other suspect," a man suggested by Grandview police that investigators considered, but discarded. Snip from Diane Carroll's story:

In a motion filed last week, the defense said the detective, Candace Bridges, told the grand jury last summer that investigators had ruled out another suspect after determining he had an alibi.

But at a hearing last month in Johnson County District Court, an FBI agent testified that no one ever contacted the man — who was identified as a suspect by Grandview police — until this year.

Defense attorneys want Hall's indictment to be thrown out. Which seems like overkill, considering that DNA tests have ruled out the Grandview man in Kelsey Smith's murder.

Comments

[please sign your comments]

he looks like he cuts his own hair. now if he'd just cut his own throat we'd be alot better off.

[Herbert Spencer]

Any judge who lets this guy off the hook is in trouble. The judges in Johnson County are a joke as it is, but turning this guy loose is hopefully beyond even their stupidity.

[Herbert Spencer]

One way to get better judges is to elect them instead of letting the good ol' boys of the BAR put their bought off leftist cronies on the bench.

[please sign your comments]

If the Deoxyribonucleic acid doesn't fit... you must acquit?

[Shawn]

Remember, he is innocent until proven guilty! Think about if that was you on the stand, do you want everyone in the media and around the country to think you a guilty even without seeing any evidence?

[Sasquach]

What it will probably come down to is whether or not this is considered a "harmless error." If the court determines that this information would not have swayed the jury's decision, the fact that an error occured is irrelevant. However, if they find this to be a violation of due process (civil rights violation) there is a presumption of harm that the state must overcome. If error and harm is shown, I would think that there's a good chance the indictment could be thrown out.

I'd hate to see it, but if the allegations are true, this could become a big problem for the state's case. If the indictment is tossed, they'd have to start over at the beginning with a grand jury hearing, in which it is possible the police improprieties could come in.

[Keith G in P.V.]

I'm sure you could play Solomon, Herbert Spencer. We could probably skip juries and defense lawyers and even prosecutors. The cops could just bring you the perps and you could sentence them-right after you and Phill torched Planned Parenthood.

[Jellybean]

If ya'all keep getting upset everytime Hall's defense attorneys try to defend him - it's gonna be a loooonnnngggg trial for you. Relax, this is how the wheels spin.

[AC]

I could be wrong, but didn't he turn himself in and confess?

[Kevan]

This guy is a POS. I dated his sister in school & he tried to stab her with a pair of scissors then. F him & Fry his @ss

[hellokittyjayhawk]

Did the detective testify that they spoke to the "other" suspect at the grand jury indictment in 2007? It would appear to be so or else the defense attorneys could not make the motion.

Did the FBI agent testify last month that NO ONE spoke to the "other" suspect until this year? Again, it would appear to be so or else the defense attorneys could not make the motion.

It doesn't matter if the other guys DNA matches or doesn't match what is at the scene. People don't get to lie under oath in order to secure an indictment against someone.

I am more offended at that thought of Phil Kline trying to circumvent justice than Edwin Hall's attorneys attempting to mount a defense.

[G]

His sister hot, Kevan?

[ScooterJ]

It irritates me that people are upset about this and want to string up the judges and lawyers.

Our criminal justice system would be worthless if the accused could not get defended in any way possible, no matter how guilty everyone thinks that person is.

[Nick]

It irritates me that people are upset about this and want to string up the judges and lawyers. - ScooterJ

Yeah, I know what you mean. Then if you think about it, you realize that they have no problem with the guy getting a defense. Their problem is with the lawyers ability to try his case in the KC STAR with Judges appointed by themselves and those like them. All on the taxpayers dime.

Had the judge not been so animate about showing solidarity with the defense and catering to their every whim, and the Star not allowing a novelist to present her commentary as fact, we wouldn't have this problem....or maybe we would. Hang the bastard, his blood sucker and the blood suckers crony. ;-)

[doggydaddy]

Nick, Nick, Nick...I worry about you man! You keep bottling up your emotions this way, you'll pop a vessel for sure. C'mon, my friend, cut loose and tell us how you really feel. ;-)

[Retired Detective Sergeant]

I doubt seriously that the Overland Park detective lied under oath for two reasons:
1. No reason to lie - there is plenty of supporting evidence to show Hall's guilt to include video tape. Why lie and blow an already solid case?
2. The Overland Park Police Department is very professional and has NO tolerance for incompetence. Outsiders don’t know it, but most Johnson County police departments are somewhat of hostile working environments when it comes to internal criticism of their peers for illegal or unethical activity. This is especially true for Overland Park, Leawood, Prairie Village and Lenexa. Trust me, the detective didn’t lie. She may have accidentally answered in a less than accurate fashion, but I’d bet my pay check she didn’t lie.
No, I don’t even know her, but I spent an entire career as a Johnson County police officer/detective. I know Overland Park’s lack of tolerance for unethical conduct.
BTW: I retired in good standing.

[Nick]

LOL! It's therapy DD. Notice I never mentioned the persistent drunk who signed the Judge's appointment? ;-)

[Nick]

I doubt seriously that the Overland Park detective lied under oath - Retired

Don't even sweat it. Everyone but the criminal class and their advocates know better. OPPD is the model of what one wants in a PD.

[JewwellsP]

She may have accidentally answered in a less than accurate fashion..Posted by: Retired Detective Sergeant | Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 12:28 PM

Are you kidding??

A lie is a lie. less than accurate, knowing & answering less than acurate. IS A LIE.
I will just have to assume, your previous work in LE was less than accurate.

[noneposted]

I think the defense is doing what they are 'supposed' to do and trying to create ways to defend their client.

The STAR is trying to sell newspapers.

I wouldn't get bent out of shape, yet.

Right or wrong, there is no way this guy is going to walk anywhere a free man.

[concerned]

The truth of what Hall did to Smith is irrelevant here.. Justice takes a back seat to the lawyer games by the defense. Besides, they want to stick the public with a huge legal bill.. Hall's attorney knows that Hall murdered her. It makes me ill! Let's get on with the trial!

[KO]

No, no, no....The defense is attempting to try this case in the "court of public opinion" and this is tactical manuever to impugne the confidence of the general public and taint the minds of the potential jury pool who will have read about it in the newspapers. The judge should issue a gag order to stop all communications about the trial. There are legal conduits for dealing with truth issues internally by the DA's office, police and defense attorneys, and airing them in public is not one of them. This is a scumbag tactic. The only way to deal with it is to move the trial to another location, which may be their strategic aim all along.

[In the Court]

I continue to be amazed at the lack of knowledge by most who blog about this trial.

First, there is a gag order in place, and yes, the defense has continually found ways to get around it without sanction.

Second, there is a mountain of physical evidence against Hall. Both fingerprints and DNA have been mentioned in hearings, and yes, they have been attributed to Hall.

Three, ever since the OJ trial it has become common defense practice to bash the police as incompetent and the prosecutor as dishonest.

Four, the trial hasn't even started yet. These are pretrial motions by the defense and they occur frequently in every death penalty case. Johnson Countians don't know this because there is rarely a death penalty case in Johnson County.

Five, I've been at all the hearings and I often wonder if the KC Star reporter is in the same room I am. She only reports what looks most damning to the prosecution.

[In the Court]

One other thing, what is missing from the article is that the FBI agent stated the supposed other suspect ceased to be a suspect after Hall admitted that he was the person in the video. For those that haven't been in the court room, Hall called the police and said he was the person of interest in the video.

The FBI agent stated that the other supposed suspect was a suspect for a few hours and no more. If evidence establishes that someone can't be a suspect it isn't necessary to talk to the supposes suspect to get an alibi. The evidence provides the alibi.