Judge Forced to Provide New Trial in Christain/Newsom Murder Case; Previous Judge High During Original Proceedings
Dec 2, 2011 4 Comments ›› Toro520
Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood has granted the motion for new trials for all four of the defendants convicted in the murders of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom.
The judge announced his decision just after 1 pm Thursday. The trials of the four defendants were presided over by former Judge Richard Baumgartner, who was removed from the bench after admitting he had a drug addiction.
The file of the TBI investigation outlined evidence that Baumgartner was likely impaired while presiding over those trials.
The evidence included Baumgartner’s abuse of hydrocodone, oxycodone, and oxycontin.
Baumgartner illegally obtained drugs from addicts, some of them had been in his courtroom.
Judge Blackwood was visibly upset as he talked about the decision he was about to make.
Blackwood said he could not point to a transcript that showed Baumgartner was high, but he said, “Use your common sense.”
He said he felt for the families and all of those who worked so hard on the cases, but he had no choice but to grant the retrials.
Mary Newsom, the mother of victim Channon Christian, said she was angry with Baumgartner. Newsom told reporters she felt like four years of her life had been wasted.
Motions will next be heard in the case January 12th at 9:30 a.m.
Following the ruling, Letalvis Cobbins stood up to complain of “dehumanizing” treatment in prison, but Judge Blackwood interrupted him and sent him out of the courtroom.
