ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 7, 1997 TAG: 9703070059
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI THE ROANOKE TIMES
The judge took the request under advisement but said he would prefer to try the case in Roanoke County.
Earl Bramblett's defense lawyers asked a Roanoke County Circuit Court judge Thursday to change the location of their client's capital murder trial, citing concerns about seating a fair jury.
Judge Roy Willett took the request under advisement but said he would prefer to try the case in Roanoke County.
"The lawyers can handle it more efficiently here," Willett said at a hearing Thursday. "If we can't pick a fair jury here, then we'll move it to someplace where we can."
Bramblett, 54, has been charged with strangling Teresa Hodges; fatally shooting her husband, Blaine Hodges, and their two daughters, Winter, 11, and Anah, 3; then setting fire to the family's Vinton home the weekend of Aug. 27, 1994.
After investigating the case for nearly two years, police arrested Bramblett, a friend of the Hodges, in July in Spartanburg, S.C. He has been in the Roanoke County-Salem Jail without bond since August.
In January, Bramblett's lawyers - Mac Doubles and Terry Grimes - told a judge they were concerned about their client's mental ability to stand trial.
At Thursday's hearing, defense lawyers said they have not seen all the medical reports concerning Bramblett's mental condition.
Commonwealth's Attorney Skip Burkart said he has reviewed a report filed by a defense expert who examined Bramblett.
"As far as I read the report, [Bramblett] is competent," Burkart said after the hearing.
That report has been sealed in Circuit Court files.
Grimes said that while all the information is not in, defense experts have expressed concerns about Bramblett's competency. Grimes said he would ask for a competency hearing.
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines KEYWORDS: ROMURby CNB