BEULAH -- The Benzie County prosecutor wants a judge to prevent murder suspect Joni Holbrook's attorney from making public comments about the case.
District Judge Nancy Kida on Thursday is expected to hear Prosecutor John B. Daugherty's motion to prevent parties in the case from making public statements outside of court. The motion is scheduled for 10:45 a.m.
Holbrook, 47, is held on an open count of murder in the Aug. 10 shooting death of her husband, Michigan State Police Sgt. Melvin P. Holbrook. Police believe she shot Melvin Holbrook, 53, with his service revolver as he slept inside the couple's Benzie County home.
Daugherty's motion contends the case continues to attract "intense interest" from the media. Statements made by Holbrook's attorney, Jesse L. Williams, are "endangering the fair trial right of the People by his statements to print and television media."
"The People are concerned that the extensive ... public comment will disrupt the processes by which a fair trial may be preserved," the motion reads.
Williams held a press conference Aug. 18. He called Joni Holbrook the victim of abuse, but didn't provide details or discuss her defense.
Williams plans to fight the motion at Thursday's hearing. Police and Daugherty also spoke with reporters about the case, he said.
"I find it peculiar that they would make statements about the case before they even did any type of investigation ... they got their little jabs in and now they don't want anybody else to know what's going on," he said.
The motion wouldn't prevent Williams from speaking with reporters, Daugherty said, but it would restrict him from providing further facts about the case. Daugherty contends the motion is crucial to Holbrook's right to a fair trial.
"If there's so much publicity on the matter, it makes it more difficult to select a jury that is impartial and hasn't been tainted by various statements along the way," he told a Record-Eagle reporter.
Holbrook's preliminary examination, held to determine if there is enough evidence to send a case to trial, is set for Sept. 28.
Related Items:
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- Editorial: MSP shouldn't be involved
- Poll: Should MSP investigate Holbrook death?
- Lawyer: Joni Holbrook 'victim and survivor'
- State police join Holbrook investigation
- Sgt. Holbrook remembered at funeral
- Suspect's friends troubled by murder charge
- Questions build in trooper's death
- Wife charged in death of policeman
- Police sergeant killed in Benzie
