patching...
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

First Degree Murder

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Baker’s Lawyers Seek Second Competency Hearing in Murder Trial

Attorneys for Deerfield man accused of baseball bat murder claim Baker thinks he will go home the day after the trial.

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

Baker’s Lawyers Question His Fitness, Sanity

Lawyers for Deerfield man accused of killing a Vernon Hills woman with a baseball bat ask judge for further evaluation.

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 …

Got a Hot Tip?