The jury in the Ladell Hannon attempted murder retrial was dismissed for the day at about 5 p.m. Thursday. And then, it wasn’t.
Day 4 had a bit of an out-of-the-ordinary finish in Courtroom 1 at Schuylkill County Courthouse.
After a very full day of meticulous testimony, Schuylkill County President Judge Jacqueline Russell dismissed the jury for the evening. But then she agreed to a defense request to hold them for one more witness … a defense witness.
What’s strange about that is the prosecution has not rested its case but it has called its last witness and testimony from that witness appears to be concluded. The prosecution’s case should rest first thing on Friday morning.
Defense attorney Mark Hinrichs expected to begin his defense case on Thursday and witnesses were present in the Courthouse but the ADA Michael Stine’s prosecution case ran longer than expected.
After the jury was initially dismissed, Hinrichs called for a sidebar with the jury still in the courtroom. After a brief caucus with Russell and Stine, Russell announced that “things are going a little slower than anticipated” in the trial and that the order of witnesses was “going a little out of order.”
Russell allowed Hinrichs to call his first witness before the prosecution officially rested its case. That was Kline Township Police officer Justin Farley. Farley apparently would not be available Friday so Russell allowed him to testify on Thursday.
The jury seemed largely unbothered about being asked to stay a little while longer on Thursday after putting in a full 8-hour day.
Farley responded to complainant Jordan Harrison’s apartment in late-October 2021 after Harrison called police to report that someone was inside his home. The officer said he responded to Harrison’s Kelayres apartment in about a minute because the police station is “right around the corner” from his home.
There was no sign of forced entry, Farley testified. Harrison, who was on a clinical rotation related to his job at the time, said he’d be at his apartment in about 25 minutes after placing the call and talking to Farley.
Farley testified that he’d already called for backup from McAdoo Police. He said, after consulting with Harrison, that the only thing missing from the apartment was his Wyze security camera.
The officer also testified that he asked Harrison if he knew who it was that appeared to be in his home.
“He did not,” Farley said, recalling Harrison’s response.
Later, Harrison allegedly called Farley and said his girlfriend, presumably Danielle Hannon, reviewed the video of the alleged break-in at his apartment, and she didn’t know who it was either.
After Farley was excused following his testimony, Russell began working on some housekeeping items – including reviewing the charges against Ladell Hannon – in anticipation of the jury instruction and deliberation phase.
COMMONWEALTH v. LADELL HANNON
- Day 1: Key Witnesses Testify in Day 1 of Ladell Hannon Attempted Murder Retrial
- Day 2: Kelayres Neighbors Testify During Day 2 of Ladell Hannon Retrial
- Day 3: Video, GPS Evidence Introduced During Day 3 Testimony at Hannon Retrial
- Day 4: Hannon’s Alleged Purchase, Search Records Introduced on Day 4 of Attempted Murder Retrial
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