Douglas County leaders expressed concerns Wednesday related to a proposal from a group of local attorneys interested in providing public defender services for p
Robert L. Sinner II pleaded not guilty Friday morning in Shawnee County District Court to four felony charges he faces linked to the Oct. 31 shooting of three teenagers he suspected of stealing signs promoting former President Donald Trump s re-election campaign.
No trial date was set at Friday s hearing, where public defender Danielle Hamilton Slate said she needed time to retain an expert witness to testify in sinner s defense.
Shawnee County District Judge Nancy Parrish scheduled the case to appear on a criminal assignment docket at 1:30 p.m. June 17.
Sinner, 40, was bound over for trial Feb. 23 on charges of three counts of aggravated battery and one count of the criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle.
Justin Sinner hasn t been charged with any crimes linked to it.
The Topeka Capital-Journal hadn t heard back by Tuesday afternoon regarding a request it made seeking comment in response from District Attorney Mike Kagay.
Allison-Natale spoke positively Monday of last month s decision by Kagay s office to drop an aggravated assault charge faced by Jose Garcia, whom Topeka police said drove a vehicle during the incident toward Robert and Justin Sinner.
Still, the families of the other youths wounded that day won t have equal justice unless Robert and Justin Sinner are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Allison-Natale said.
photo by: Meeting screenshot/Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Defense attorney Sam Allison-Natale is seen speaking to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council about his nonprofit, Kansas Holistic Defenders, during a virtual meeting in February 2021.
Sam Allison-Natale wants to follow in his parents’ footsteps.
As a child of two public defense attorneys, he knew when he went to law school at New York University that he wanted to be one too.
“This is in my blood,” said Allison-Natale, a criminal defense attorney who previously served as a public defender in New York City for the nonprofit organization The Bronx Defenders.
Now in Lawrence, Allison-Natale is hoping to continue on the public defender path as he offers a potential alternative to the way that Douglas County currently handles criminal cases for people who cannot afford attorneys.