Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Defense witness tells court Deerfield’s Daniel Baker did not know what he was doing when he beat Marina Aksman of Vernon Hills to death over two years ago.
Defense lawyers painted a picture of Daniel Baker Monday as a person who heard voices, has a variety of mental disorders and did not know what he was doing when he bludgeoned a Vernon Hills woman to death more than two years ago, according to an article in the Chicagoist. Baker, of Deerfield, is in the second week of his trial for the murder of Marina Aksman of Vernon Hills in Lake County Court in Waukegan. Psychiatrist Alexander Obolsky was the first defense witness. He testified Baker has a pair of personality disorders and a cognitive disability that left him insane at the time of the attack, according to a report in the Chicago Sun Times. Earlier: Update: Baker’s DNA Found on Baseball Bat, Witness Says “He has many strange and bizarre …
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Earlier: Kristina Aksman tells how Daniel Baker of Deerfield hit her mother with a baseball bat.
(Update at 10:45 p.m.) A witness in the Daniel Baker murder trial testified today the Deerfield man’s DNA was found on the handle of the baseball bat prosecutors claim was used to kill Vernon Hills woman Marina Aksman, according to a second story in the Daily Herald. Kelley Lawrence of the Northern Illinois Crime Lab also told the court the driver’s side air bag that inflated on Baker’s car when he crashed it into Aksman’s home contained both his DNA and that of his then girlfriend and Aksman’s daughter, Kristina Aksman, according to the Daily Herald. (Earlier at 1:25 p.m.) The former girlfriend of a Deerfield man accused of beating her Vernon Hills mother to death with a baseball bat told Lake County Criminal Court Judge Daniel Shanes how…
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Defense claims Deerfield man did not know what he was doing when he beat a Vernon Hills woman to death. Prosecutors offer evidence of intent.
Neither prosecutors nor defense lawyers disagree Daniel Baker bludgeoned Marina Aksman of Vernon Hills to death with a baseball bat over two years ago or has mental health issues, but evidence they present on the legal definition of insanity may well determine the Deerfield man’s fate, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune. Opening arguments were Tuesday. Defense attorneys led by Ed Genson argued a “tragic, perfect storm” of events culminated in Baker not realizing his attack of Aksman was wrong, according to reports in the Daily Herald. Genson said he would prove Baker did not appreciate the criminality of his actions. Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Patricia Fix claims Baker knew what he was doing because Aksman was trying …
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Deerfield man accused of murder keeps lawyer, asks judge to hear case.
As the murder trial of a Deerfield man accused of killing a Vernon Hills woman with a baseball bat begins today, pretrial drama ended Monday as Daniel Baker chose not to fire attorney Ed Genson and be tried by a judge rather than jury, according to the Mundelein Review. Lake County Criminal Court Judge Daniel Shanes ruled once again Baker was fit to stand trial—he issued the same ruling Friday—after Baker’s mother testified that her son was afraid to come to court Monday because Genson was part of the Russian Mafia, according to the Chicago Tribune. Earlier: Judge Rule Baker Fit To Stand Trial Shanes believes Baker has “flights of fancy” and “significant mental health issues,” but thinks he is an intelligent and precocious individual who …
Friday, October 12, 2012
Deerfield man goes on trial for first degree murder Monday for killing a Vernon Hills woman.
A Deerfield man accused of bludgeoning a Vernon Hills woman to death with a baseball bat in April, 2010, was found fit to stand trial today and immediately asked the judge to let him fire his lawyers and represent himself, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. The trial will begin at 9 a.m. Monday before Lake County Criminal Court Judge Daniel Shanes in Waukegan, according to a spokesperson for the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. Earlier: Update: Judge Delays Baker Murder Trial Baker attorney Ed Gensen introduced testimony Oct. 5 Baker was mentally unfit to stand trial, according to a report in the Daily Herald. The prosecution presented an expert saying the Deerfield man was mentally competent to assist in his defense which…
Friday, October 5, 2012
Deerfield man accused of beating his girl friend’s Vernon Hills mother to death with a baseball bat more than two years ago may get competency hearing. Judge will decide Friday after possibly hearing from Baker.
(Update: Saturday, 12:30 a.m.) In an unusual legal move, Lake County Criminal Court Judge Daniel Shanes delayed Tuesday start of the murder trial of Daniel Baker of Deerfield in an effort to determine whether the defendant is fit to stand trial, according to a breaking story in the Daily Herald. Shanes indicated today he may call Baker to testify at a special hearing Friday to determine if he is mentally competent to understand the charges against him when the trial begins, according to a story in the Lake County News Sun. The ruling came after lawyers for the prosecution and defense called dueling psychiatrists with different conclusions. “I am considering calling the defendant to testify,” Shanes said in the News Sun article. “This is a …
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Attorneys for Deerfield man accused of baseball bat murder claim Baker thinks he will go home the day after the trial.
- POLICE & FIRE
-
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A Deerfield man accused of beating his girlfriend’s mother to death with a baseball bat will undergo another evaluation to determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial for murder Oct. 9, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune. Ed Genson, the attorney for Daniel Baker, 24, of Deerfield reportedly told his lawyer he expects to go home the day after the trial, according to the Tribune article. "The problem is with his cooperation with me," Genson said in the Tribune story. "He'd like a bench trial. We have a problem with him understanding why they (the prosecution) have to put their case on first." According to a Patch article a year ago, Baker was found competent to stand trial. At that time Baker’s attorneys explained he …
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Lawyers for Deerfield man accused of killing a Vernon Hills woman with a baseball bat ask judge for further evaluation.
- POLICE & FIRE
-
Saturday, September 22, 2012
The mental fitness of a Deerfield man accused of bludgeoning his then girl friend’s mother to death more than two years ago is again being questioned by his attorneys as his Oct. 9 trial date in Lake County Criminal Court approaches, according to a story in the Daily Herald. Patch reported a year ago that Daniel Baker, 23, of Deerfield will go to trial for 2010 first-degree murder charges in the death of Vernon Hills resident Marina Aksman. Authorities claim Baker beat Aksman to death with a baseball bat. At the time of the murder, he was dating her daughter Kristina. Earlier: Baker Attorneys Will Claim Insanity Approximately 12 months ago, Lake County Judge Fred Foreman ruled Baker was mentally fit to stand trial meaning he understands …
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Deerfield murder defendant could negate his lawyer’s attempt to use an insanity defense.
- POLICE & FIRE
-
Thursday, September 13, 2012
A Deerfield man accused of beating his then girlfriend’s mother to death with a baseball bat may have invalidated his lawyer’s efforts to use an insanity defense by refusing to talk to experts retained by the Lake County State’s Attorney, according to an article in the Lake County News Sun. Ed Genson, the lawyer for Daniel Baker, who was charged more than two years ago with killing Marina Aksman of Vernon Hills, wants to prove to the court his client is unable to distinguish right from wrong. Genson has introduced evidence from experts. The prosecution has asked to have its psychiatrist examine Baker but the Deerfield man refused to speak. The State’s Attorney claims it could use this to bar the testimony of defense experts. Genson calls …
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Lawyers trying to determine which documents defense must share with prosecution.
Attorneys in the murder case of a Deerfield man are haggling over which documents allegedly demonstrating Daniel Baker’s inability to distinguish right from wrong the defense lawyers must furnish to the prosecution, according to a story in the Lake County News Sun. With the trial set to begin Oct. 9, defendant Daniel Baker’s attorneys were in Lake County Court Tuesday trying to decide which reports, testing, interviews and other material should be given to the Lake County state’s attorney. Baker attorney Ed Genson plans to use an insanity defense. For that tactic to be successful, Genson must prove Baker cannot tell the difference between right and wrong. Baker was accused of bludgeoning the mother of his then girlfriend to death with a …
posnrg
3:12 am on Sunday, October 28, 2012
you have no idea what you're talking about "Chilawyer"...you don't have all the facts and don't know or understand what the total story is or other information regarding the father or daughter.... Sometimes it isn't all that simple...please don't jump to conclusions...and let go of the anger you have directed towards someone you don't even know..and really have nothing to do with you. Become a … more ›