Created:
10/03/2008 08:57:57 PM
Author:
Mike Rogers
Key thought:
Trial Date
Comments:
Trial date set in local murder case
By SARA MITCHELL News-T imes Staff Trial for James E. Clemons, who has been charged in the 1992 murder of a local business owner, was set for Jan. 19, 2009, during an omnibus hearing held Thursday in Union County Circuit Court.
Clemons, 45, was arrested in March for the murder of Billy Ponder, after DNA evidence was re-submitted to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in 2006.
At the time of his arrest, Clemons was living in Mosinee, Wis. He was extradited back to El Dorado, where he has remained in custody without bond in the Union County Jail.
Ponder was found inside his fl ower shop, which was located at 1302 N. West Ave. He had reportedly been stabbed multiple times.
Circuit Court Judge Hamilton Singleton told Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jeff Rogers and retained defense attorney Ricky Hicks that because of the amount of time lapse between the arrest and the trial, should be sent out no later than next week.
The trial is anticipated to last four days, and Singleton said if another day is needed, the trial would go into the week end. The fi rst day of the trial will be on a Tuesday.
Both prosecution and defense examined evidence during a recess, and when court was back in session, Hicks told Singleton he was going to look over the evidence more during the afternoon, but was satis fi ed that the defense had obtained discov ery from the prosecution. The purpose of an omnibus hearing is to make sure that both sides are brought up to date on the evidence.
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