NATIONAL
J
Jordan Case Moving
Slowly in Robeson
LUMBERTON, N.C. (AP)
? Eight arraignment hearings have
been scheduled and dropped for the
two men charged with killing
Michael Jordan's father last August.
But the delay isn't worrying attor-.
neys in the case.
*"We may be looking at
March or April of next year" before
the case is tried, defense lawyer
Hugh Rogers said Monday. Rogers,
who represents Larry Martin
Dcmery, 18, of Rowland, estimated
a trial would take two months,
including jury selection.
"We're at a lull in the pro
ceedings," Rogers said. "I've got
other murder cases that are two or
three years ol^ It's the function of
the prosecutor to schedule them for
trial."'
An arraignment hearing,
where a defendant enters a plea,
could be \?&eduled in July, said
District Attorney - Richard
Townsend. Previous hearings were
delayed because pending motions
hadn't been resolved.
Townsend said he didn't
$ *
know if the case would come to
trial before he leaves office at the
end of the year. Townsend lost a re
election bid this moTTrti to former
assistant Johnson Britt. 57 percent
to 42.9 percent.
Townsend said the election
campaign and his loss didn't play a
part in the speed of the proceedings.
"It takes time in a case like ,
this, any first-degree murder case,"
Townsend said.
Demerv and Daniel Andre
Green, 18 of Lumberton. were
charged Aug. 16 with firsi-degree
murder, armed robbery and conspir
acy to commit armed robber) . They
are being held without bond. I
The last item entered in
Demery's file was an order Dec. 1
denying him permission to attend
his grandfather's funeral. Motions
filed by Rogers include requests for
information from the prosecutor and
requests for another attorney, cleri
cal help and a private investigator.
Rogers had said he might
seek a change of location for the
trial, but said he hasjchanged his
mind because there's nowhere in
the state that hasn't heard of the
case.
He also said prosecutors usu
ally try co-defendants at the same
time, but in this case it's possible
the trials would be separate.
Green's attorney, public
defender Angus Thompson, filed 42
motions on Dec. 31f including
requests for a bill of particulars, a
list of state witnesses, test result,
physical evidence, exclusion. of pic
tures of Jordan's body and a request
to make arecord of the jurors' ?
races.
A motion by both sides of the -
defense to keep law enforcement
authorities from talking about the
case was acted on quickly last year
and a jud^e ordered everyone
involved in the case to refrain from
discussing it in public. A motion
still is pending to hold some hear
ings in closed session. v.
James R. Jordan's body was
foUnd Aug. 3 in a South Carolina
Creek, but wasn't identified until
Aug. 13. Authorities said Jordan
was killed July 23 as he napped on
the fcide of U.S. 74.
According to an affidavit
filed in the case, police were told
that Green was seen wearing a
Chicago Bulls NBA championship
watch and two or three rings that
belonged to Jordan. '
Michael Jordan, who retired
from the Bulls last year and has
begun playing baseball, had given
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