Prosecutor accuses Delphi defense of contempt of court
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Tuesday was another day of legal drama in the case of Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen.
Allen, 51, of Delphi, was arrested on Oct. 28, 2022, for the February 2017 murders of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi.
On Tuesday, prosecutors said they want Allen’s newly reinstated defense attorneys held in contempt of court.
The prosecutors cite what the attorneys have said inside and outside of the courtroom as reasons why.
Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland filed the contempt of court motion late Monday afternoon. He’s demanding Judge Frances Gull punish attorneys Bradley Rozzi and Andrew Baldwin for violating court orders in Allen’s case.
In the motion, McLeland points to a defense team news release issued Dec. 1, 2022, about one month after Allen’s arrest for the murders of Abby and Libby.
In the release, the attorneys pronounced Allen’s innocence and argued the defense had nothing to hide.
The prosecution says that release came just days after the defense refused to agree to a gag order in the case.
Gull issued one the next day.
McLeland’s request also cites two leaks of evidence connected to the defense, including crime scene photographs in the girls’ deaths.
The defense admits someone took pictures of the evidence at the attorneys office, and shared it with a podcaster.
The prosecutor also reveals his office learned about the leak from the families of Abby and Libby.
Gull cited the evidence leaks as her reason for removing Baldwin and Rozzi from Allen’s defense team, a move that was overturned by the Indiana Supreme Court earlier this month.
The contempt filing comes less than 12 hours after Baldwin and Rozzi renewed their request to have Gull step down from the trial. They argue her rulings show a bias against Allen and his attorneys, and that allowing her to remain on the case will raise serious questions as to whether Allen is getting a fair trial.
The judge has not set hearings yet on any of the motions filed over the past two days.
Allen is set to go on trial in October for charges of murder and kidnapping. His defense has indicated they may try to get that trial moved earlier.
This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV.