Precious Doe Defendant Gets New Lawyer, Irritates Judge
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A judge agrees to remove one of the lawyers from the death penalty defense team representing the man accused of killing the girl once known only as Precious Doe.<br/><br/>Twenty-seven-year-oldFriday, March 23rd 2007, 1:17 pm
By:
News On 6
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A judge agrees to remove one of the lawyers from the death penalty defense team representing the man accused of killing the girl once known only as Precious Doe.
Twenty-seven-year-old Harrell Johnson of Muskogee, Oklahoma, is charged with first-degree murder in the 2001 death of his stepdaughter, 3-year-old Erica Green.
Police found Erica's decapitated body in a wooded area in Kansas City in April 2001, but could not identify her for four years.
During Thursday’s hearing, Johnson repeatedly asked Jackson County Circuit Judge J.D. Williamson for new lawyers. He also asked to represent himself.
Williamson agreed to allow one of Johnson's attorneys, Janice Zembles, to withdraw.
Johnson also asked for attorneys other than public defenders. When the judge told Johnson that was not possible, Johnson said, quote, "I'm not going to sit up here and let racist people take my life."
Eventually, Williamson told Johnson to stop and threatened to remove him from the courtroom.
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5/4/2005 Kansas City Police Questioning Two Muskogee Residents About A 2001 Murder
5/6/2005 Muskogee Couple Charged With Murder In Kansas City, Waives Extradition Back To Missouri
5/7/2005 Precious Doe Beaten In Days Before Death
5/9/2005 Muskogee Couple To Be Extradited Tuesday In Precious Doe Killing
5/10/2005 Muskogee Couple Appears In A Kansas City Courtroom Charged With The Death Of Their Daughter
5/14/2005 Tipster Says He's Relieved In Aftermath Of Arrests
5/16/2005 First-Degree Murder Charges Still Possible In Precious Doe Case
5/20/2005 Muskogee Man Who Helped Kansas City Police Solve A 1995 Murder Talks About The Case
6/3/2005 Kansas City Police: Tipster In Precious Doe Case Called 50 Times
6/6/2005 Muskogee Man Gets Reward In Precious Doe Case
8/2/2005 Stepfather Charged With First-Degree Murder In Precious Doe Case
8/11/2005 Precious Doe To Be Reburied Next Week
8/18/2005 Former Muskogee Child Known As Precious Doe Reburied
11/9/2005 State Lawmakers Plan 'Precious Doe' Study
12/3/2005 Prosecutor To Seek Death Penalty In 'Precious Doe' Case
12/15/2005 Defense Lawyer Says State Waited Too Long To Seek Death
2/10/2006 Prosecutors Can Seek Death Penalty In Girl's Slaying
4/29/2006 Civic Leaders Hope To Raise Money For Precious Doe Park
7/27/2006 January Trial Date Set For Muskogee Woman
12/19/2006 Judge Asked To Throw Out Confession In Precious Doe Case
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