County sets $500,000 aside for death penalty case
By Ken de la Bastide
The Herald Bulletin
ANDERSON — In anticipation of spending for the death penalty case of the killing of Elwood police officer Noah Shahnavaz, Madison County has started to allocate funding.
Defendant Carl Roy Webb Boards II is charged with the murder of Shahnavaz in July, and the Madison County prosecutor’s office is seeking the death penalty.
The Madison County Council on Tuesday approved a $500,000 appropriation from the county’s Rainy Day fund for trial expenses.
The county prosecutor’s office and public defender’s office each was allocated $200,000, and the court system was allocated $100,000.
Auditor Rick Gardner said using the Rainy Day Fund to fund the case gives the county the ability to pay for a capital case.
He said the $500,000 was used to begin paying bills related to the case.
Gardner said that appropriation expires Dec. 31.
Council President Ben Gale said the $500,000 could be appropriated again in January.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Hanna said state law requires two public defenders for Boards; they are paid at an hourly rate.
He said the costs include expert witnesses and transcripts.
Hanna said most of the costs will be incurred by the defense attorneys, who can hire investigators and other expert witnesses.
The death penalty case of Frederick Baer in 2006 cost the county about $400,000.
Boards’ attorneys have requested a change of venue for the trial out of Madison County; Madison Superior Court Division 3 Judge Andrew Hopper has not ruled on it.
The prosecutor’s office has proposed selecting a jury from outside of Madison County and bringing them to Anderson for the trial.
https://www.heraldbulletin.com/news/...d9cc81d4a.html
Bookmarks