FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A longtime defense attorney filed a motion on behalf of Richard Allen's own defense attorney on Thursday, arguing he should be allowed to remain counsel to the Delphi murders suspect in a new document submitted just hours before a scheduled status hearing in Fort Wayne on Thursday.
Public defenders Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi are tasked with defending Allen against the charges he faces in the 2017 murders of Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14.
The filing comes two days after Indiana State Police investigated a leak of sensitive evidence and documents related to the case that allegedly became public at the hands of an employee on Baldwin's team.
"Attorney Baldwin did nothing wrong. He was snookered and abused," defense lawyer David Hennessy argued in the filing.
Hennessy, a longtime defense attorney who has argued on behalf of lawyers throughout Indiana before, argued that a trusted friend to Baldwin was given access to the office space where he kept all Delphi-related items.
"He was betrayed," Hennessy wrote, arguing that Baldwin has since kept "all Delphi-related items locked in a room or a locked fireproof cabinet."
Defense counsel for Allen has reportedly put together a plan for action which stipulates no item related to Delphi will be left unattended for even any second in any unlocked room, the filing claimed.
13News spoke with defense attorney Hennessy, who submitted the filing prior to Thursday's hearing. Hennessy confirmed he is not joining Allen's case, but is appearing as counsel for Baldwin.
It is unclear whether Rozzi has representation.
Hennessy called the leak a "horrible tragedy created by persons not related to the defense of Mr. Allen." Hennessy further argued Baldwin should be able to continue acting as his counsel throughout the double-murder trial.
"Mr. Allen has developed a strong and trusting bond with Mr. Baldwin. Disqualification of either of his court appointed attorneys would greatly prejudice his right to counsel and a timely trial," Hennessy said.
If the court believed some sanction was appropriate, Hennessy argued, then they should order 24 hours of representation without any compensation.
The upcoming status hearing in Allen County marks a chance for Judge Frances Gull to address Allen, his defense team and prosecutors on how the case is going ahead of his scheduled jury trial in January 2024.
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.