Jury Acquits Warren on 20 of 26 Counts
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Craig Brosman-
At 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the jury came back with the verdicts. Warren was found guilty of battery, a Class C felony, intimidation, a Class C felony, theft, a Class D felony, obstruction of justice, a Class D felony, resisting law enforcement, a Class D felony, and sexual battery, a Class D felony.
Kosciusko County Superior Court I Judge Duane Huffer ordered the probation department to prepare a pre-sentence investigation report prior to sentencing on Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. Warren could possibly be sentenced to a maximum of 28 years in prison.
After the verdict came back Warren’s defense attorney Alan J. Zimmerman needed a while to go over the verdicts which were levied against his client.
“I am very happy with the jury verdict, with the fact that he was looking at 457 years in prison… he was looking at seven life sentences,” Zimmerman said during a telephone interview Sunday. “They did a wonderful job. In 30 years I have not had a jury ask so many questions. They were paying close attention and they were involved.”
Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel H. Hampton was happy with the convictions.
“I am optimisic that an appropriate sentence will be levied against Warren upon the jury's convictions and in light of Bill E. Warren's past criminal history.”
At Warren’s sentencing hearing Hampton will go over a 27th charge, which charges Warren with being a habitual offender.
Friday evening the 12 jurors in the trial decided to come back on Saturday morning to finish closing arguments and begin deliberations. On Saturday morning, prior to the beginning of closing arguments, Huffer informed the courtroom that juror number three had a heart attack early Saturday morning and the alternate juror would be used.
Hampton was the first to present his closing argument on Saturday morning. During his allotted half hour he asked jurors to look at the facts of the case and use their common sense.
“No one has the right to violate and terrorize two human beings like Bill E. Warren did in Aug. 2010,” Hampton said. “Apply your common sense to this case. The evidence is overwhelming in the case of who to believe and not to believe.”
Zimmerman portrayed the state’s case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde as a fairy tale with pixie dust and missing evidence.
“The states’ case is a fairy tale,” Zimmerman said. “Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde comes to Warsaw, Indiana. It sells newspapers. It might sell newspapers, but it’s not reality. You can go back to your home tonight and rest peacefully, because there is no Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde.”
Zimmerman continued to attack the state’s case.
“You have to ask yourself if a woman all hopped up on meth, pills, marijuana, wouldn’t you want some CSI, evidence, fingerprints. Wouldn’t you want more than an hour at the crime scene, wouldn’t you want more than a brief drive by at the parking lot. Wouldn’t you want a better investigation than that,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman concluded by going back to the idea that the state’s case is a fairy tale.
“In order to believe this count (sexual battery and criminal deviate conduct) you have to believe the victim. If you can’t believe the messenger you can’t believe the message,” Zimmerman said. “The government said they wanted you to use your common sense. We want you to use your common sense and get out of the fairy tale.”
In speaking with the jury after Zimmerman’s arguments, Hampton talked about credibility and the truth.
“The victim did not sugar coat who she was,” Hampton said. “This whole case rests on credibility. When we were kids we learned about a boy whose nose grows when he’s not credible. Wouldn’t that make it a lot easier to determine credibility. You are the ones to determine credibility.”[[In-content Ad]]
At 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the jury came back with the verdicts. Warren was found guilty of battery, a Class C felony, intimidation, a Class C felony, theft, a Class D felony, obstruction of justice, a Class D felony, resisting law enforcement, a Class D felony, and sexual battery, a Class D felony.
Kosciusko County Superior Court I Judge Duane Huffer ordered the probation department to prepare a pre-sentence investigation report prior to sentencing on Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. Warren could possibly be sentenced to a maximum of 28 years in prison.
After the verdict came back Warren’s defense attorney Alan J. Zimmerman needed a while to go over the verdicts which were levied against his client.
“I am very happy with the jury verdict, with the fact that he was looking at 457 years in prison… he was looking at seven life sentences,” Zimmerman said during a telephone interview Sunday. “They did a wonderful job. In 30 years I have not had a jury ask so many questions. They were paying close attention and they were involved.”
Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel H. Hampton was happy with the convictions.
“I am optimisic that an appropriate sentence will be levied against Warren upon the jury's convictions and in light of Bill E. Warren's past criminal history.”
At Warren’s sentencing hearing Hampton will go over a 27th charge, which charges Warren with being a habitual offender.
Friday evening the 12 jurors in the trial decided to come back on Saturday morning to finish closing arguments and begin deliberations. On Saturday morning, prior to the beginning of closing arguments, Huffer informed the courtroom that juror number three had a heart attack early Saturday morning and the alternate juror would be used.
Hampton was the first to present his closing argument on Saturday morning. During his allotted half hour he asked jurors to look at the facts of the case and use their common sense.
“No one has the right to violate and terrorize two human beings like Bill E. Warren did in Aug. 2010,” Hampton said. “Apply your common sense to this case. The evidence is overwhelming in the case of who to believe and not to believe.”
Zimmerman portrayed the state’s case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde as a fairy tale with pixie dust and missing evidence.
“The states’ case is a fairy tale,” Zimmerman said. “Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde comes to Warsaw, Indiana. It sells newspapers. It might sell newspapers, but it’s not reality. You can go back to your home tonight and rest peacefully, because there is no Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde.”
Zimmerman continued to attack the state’s case.
“You have to ask yourself if a woman all hopped up on meth, pills, marijuana, wouldn’t you want some CSI, evidence, fingerprints. Wouldn’t you want more than an hour at the crime scene, wouldn’t you want more than a brief drive by at the parking lot. Wouldn’t you want a better investigation than that,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman concluded by going back to the idea that the state’s case is a fairy tale.
“In order to believe this count (sexual battery and criminal deviate conduct) you have to believe the victim. If you can’t believe the messenger you can’t believe the message,” Zimmerman said. “The government said they wanted you to use your common sense. We want you to use your common sense and get out of the fairy tale.”
In speaking with the jury after Zimmerman’s arguments, Hampton talked about credibility and the truth.
“The victim did not sugar coat who she was,” Hampton said. “This whole case rests on credibility. When we were kids we learned about a boy whose nose grows when he’s not credible. Wouldn’t that make it a lot easier to determine credibility. You are the ones to determine credibility.”[[In-content Ad]]
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