Final pretrial held in Coonrod case WATCH THE VIDEO
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
A final pretrial in the capital murder case against Wesley Coonrod was held Thursday in Highland County Common Pleas Court - the final scheduled court appearance before jurors are required to appear.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 27. It was said in court Thursday that the state anticipates five days will be needed to hear testimony and present evidence. The defense said they anticipate needing two days. The trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 4, but Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss said that if a jury is seated early, that the trial will begin early and that all attorneys need to be prepared.
Coonrod, 42 of Greenfield, met privately with his attorneys, William Mooney and Jerry McHenry prior to the start of the proceedings.
Coonrod is facing two counts of aggravated murder, with specifications they are capital cases; one charge of aggravated arson, a felony of the second degree; two counts of murder, unclassified felonies; two counts of child endangering, felonies of the third degree. He was arrested following the March 7 fire on Lafayette Street in Greenfield that claimed the lives of his two sons, Thomas Coonrod, 4, and Stephen Coonrod, 3. He is being held at the Highland County Justice Center on a $1 million bond.
When court was called to session Thursday by Coss, he said that there were several issues that needed to be addressed off the record, including some medical issues, that needed to be discussed in chambers.
Attorneys for the defense, and the state - represented by Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey - met with Coss in chambers for nearly an hour.
When court was called back into session, the groups discussed some particulars regarding the jury questionnaire for the "voir dire" process of examining prospective jurors. There are approximately 318 jurors who have not been dismissed from the 400 notices that were sent out, Coss said. The questionnaire is 18 pages long, he said, with an estimated 99 questions.
The court will seat 12 jurors and six alternates for the trial.
Coss said that during the "voir dire" process he will ask more questions than normal before allowing the attorneys to question them.
There is limited seating in the courtroom, and Coss reiterated to the courtroom that once the judge has taken the bench and the proceedings begin, no one is allowed to leave or enter the courtroom, and the door will be locked.
Regarding trial issues, Mooney said that it had been ruled that jurors may not be photographed and he asked Coss if that would be extended to witnesses. Coss said each witness would be asked for their permission to be photographed.
Coss addressed a motion that had been filed by Mooney on Sept. 18 requesting additional funds for fees for expert witnesses. Coss said that he would need more information as to why more money was needed before he made a ruling.
Mooney said that for the trial, the defense will need at least one warrant to convey for a witness. Coss instructed him to file it Friday, so the Highland County Sheriff's Office would be aware.
Coss ordered both the state and defense to prepare potential exhibit lists and witness lists, saying that they were not bound to it, but he wanted them submitted.
Mooney said the defense has scheduled a final team meeting in Columbus for Friday and during that time they will finalize their witness list.
"I tell jurors, the only predictable thing about trials is that they are unpredictable," Coss said. Coss said that he needed to have an approximate time for the length of the trial in order to take care of juror accommodations.
During the deliberation period, as it is a capital case, the jury must be sequestered.
He also advised the attorneys to err on the side of having witnesses arrive early, because the court will not wait.
"If you tell me your next witness is two hours away, I'll tell you to call someone else," Coss said. "And if that doesn't happen, somebody's going to have to pay. This case needs to move. We've asked people to take this much time out of their lives to try a case, as a juror. I'm not wasting their time."
A final pretrial in the capital murder case against Wesley Coonrod was held Thursday in Highland County Common Pleas Court - the final scheduled court appearance before jurors are required to appear.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 27. It was said in court Thursday that the state anticipates five days will be needed to hear testimony and present evidence. The defense said they anticipate needing two days. The trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 4, but Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss said that if a jury is seated early, that the trial will begin early and that all attorneys need to be prepared.
Coonrod, 42, of Greenfield, met privately with his attorneys, William Mooney and Jerry McHenry, prior to the start of the proceedings.
Coonrod is facing two counts of aggravated murder, with specifications they are capital cases; one charge of aggravated arson, a felony of the second degree; two counts of murder, unclassified felonies; two counts of child endangering, felonies of the third degree. He was arrested following the March 7 fire on Lafayette Street in Greenfield that claimed the lives of his two sons, Thomas Coonrod, 4, and Stephen Coonrod, 3. He is being held at the Highland County Justice Center on a $1 million bond.
When court was called to session Thursday by Coss, he said that there were several issues that needed to be addressed off the record, including some medical issues, that needed to be discussed in chambers.
Attorneys for the defense, and the state - represented by Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey - met with Coss in chambers for nearly an hour.
When court was called back into session, the groups discussed some particulars regarding the jury questionnaire for the "voir dire" process of examining prospective jurors. There are approximately 318 jurors who have not been dismissed from the 400 notices that were sent out, Coss said. The questionnaire is 18 pages long, he said, with an estimated 99 questions.
The court will seat 12 jurors and six alternates for the trial.
Coss said that during the "voir dire" process he will ask more questions than normal before allowing the attorneys to question them.
There is limited seating in the courtroom, and Coss reiterated to the courtroom that once the judge has taken the bench and the proceedings begin, no one is allowed to leave or enter the courtroom, and the door will be locked.
Regarding trial issues, Mooney said that it had been ruled that jurors may not be photographed and he asked Coss if that would be extended to witnesses. Coss said each witness would be asked for their permission to be photographed.
Coss addressed a motion that had been filed by Mooney on Sept. 18 requesting additional funds for fees for expert witnesses. Coss said that he would need more information as to why more money was needed before he made a ruling.
Mooney said that for the trial, the defense will need at least one warrant to convey for a witness. Coss instructed him to file it Friday, so the Highland County Sheriff's Office would be aware.
Coss ordered both the state and defense to prepare potential exhibit lists and witness lists, saying that they were not bound to it, but he wanted them submitted.
Mooney said the defense has scheduled a final team meeting in Columbus for Friday and during that time they will finalize their witness list.
"I tell jurors, the only predictable thing about trials is that they are unpredictable," Coss said. Coss said that he needed to have an approximate time for the length of the trial in order to take care of juror accommodations.
During the deliberation period, as it is a capital case, the jury must be sequestered.
He also advised the attorneys to err on the side of having witnesses arrive early, because the court will not wait.
"If you tell me your next witness is two hours away, I'll tell you to call someone else," Coss said. "And if that doesn't happen, somebody's going to have to pay. This case needs to move. We've asked people to take this much time out of their lives to try a case, as a juror. I'm not wasting their time."