By Jason Arndt
STAFF WRITER
Citing the large amount of evidence that must be reviewed, a lawyer for Andrew Obregon Jan. 21 requested more time to prepare for the accused murderer’s trial.
Taking the request under consideration during the preliminary hearing, a judge set Sept. 25 as the date of a jury trial in Kenosha County Circuit Court.
Obregon, 32, is accused of 32 crimes, which include first-degree intentional homicide of 37-year-old Tywon Anderson and first-degree attempted intentional homicide of a Brighton woman.
According to the criminal complaint, Obregon allegedly confessed to all but two charges – first-degree attempted intentional homicide and kidnapping in his last attempt to flee authorities Oct. 13.
However, he pleaded not guilty to all charges at a November preliminary hearing.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Graveley wanted to set an earlier trial date, but noted Obregon’s defense needed more time to review documents.
“The council has indicated that, what was an enormous amount of electronic discoveries, they are still actively reviewing it,” Graveley told Circuit Court Judge Chad Kerkman.
Carl Johnson, Obregon’s public defender, did not expect the prosecution to push the trial date forward at the pre-trial hearing, but understood the District Attorney’s Office desire to keep things moving.
“Coming into this hearing, I had not anticipated setting a trial date,” Johnson said. “But I know from the state’s perspective, there are a lot of witnesses and a lot of moving parts, that they want a trial date set.”
Johnson, who did not object to setting a trial date, expressed concern it would set an unreasonable timeline to compile a witness list.
“Under these circumstances, it would be difficult to comply with, and I am asking the court to consider granting an extension, so we could provide a witness list,” Johnson said.
“There is a just paper discovery, itself is very large, but the electronic discovery is massive, for lack of better word,” Johnson added.
Deadline for a witness list is April 1, with a motion hearing to follow on April 15.
Obregon eluded capture for weeks last fall, leaving residents in Western Kenosha County – where he was believed to hiding – on edge. He was captured Oct. 13 in Northern Illinois after allegedly beating a woman at a home in the Town of Brighton and stealing her car.
The chase ended when the vehicle Obregon drove was disabled using its On-Star system – at police request. He was captured with the assistance of police dogs following a short foot pursuit.
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