Wednesday, May 2, 2001
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Wednesday, May 2, 2001 |
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Local school psychologist nominated for national award By
JOHN MUNFORD
For the second time, a local man accused of child molestation has been hospitalized for heart trouble when he was scheduled to be on trial. At press time Tuesday, it was unclear whether Farrell Lloyd Pitts would stand trial later this week or not. Two of his physicians cleared him to stand trial during a conference call Monday between attorneys and Superior Court Judge Christopher Edwards. Both doctors indicated Pitts would be released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. Pitts' attorney, Ed Garland, told Edwards Monday morning that Pitts was scheduled to undergo a heart catheterization test at the hospital. Edwards was somewhat skeptical of the story, since a similar set of circumstances caused Pitts' case to be postponed in October. Pitts is accused of child molestation, aggravated sodomy and enticing a child for indecent purposes. The offenses involved a 6-year-old boy back in April 1998, according to the indictment filed against Pitts. Garland asked that the case be postponed until the next trial calendar, but Edwards determined it would be appropriate to hear from Pitts' current doctors. Pitts is not seeing the same physician who took care of him when the case was postponed in October. Monday morning, Edwards said he was wary of granting a postponement of the trial since Pitts' last two hospitalizations coincided with the scheduled trial dates. On that basis, Edwards initially denied Garland's motion to postpone the trial. The judge also suggested that perhaps Pitts could "attend" the trial through an electronic connection or via the telephone. Edwards noted that this case is one of the oldest unresolved cases on the current dockets. Superior Court Chief Judge Ben Miller had asked Edwards to specially schedule the case so it could be heard as soon as possible, Edwards added.
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