Murder arraignment adjourned due to lack of defense attorney

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Murder arraignment adjourned due to lack of defense attorney

By JOLEEN FERRIS

Story Created: Oct 28, 2008 at 10:56 AM EST

Story Updated: Oct 28, 2008 at 11:41 AM EST

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - A man accused of a 15-year-old murder in Utica could not be arraigned on the charge in Oneida County Court today because a key player was missing: a defense attorney. Donovan Skelton told the judge he tried to get an attorney, but couldn't pay for one.

The judge determined that the unemployed Skelton was eligible for the public defender to represent him, but that office previously represented a witness in this case on charges related to it, so a conflict of interest prohibits the public defender from representing Skelton.

There were no other defense attorneys in the courtroom for the judge to assign to Skelton, so Judge Barry Donalty put the case on tomorrow's court calendar for arraignment, at which time Donalty expects to have an attorney present to represent Skelton.

Skelton is accused of shooting 16-year-old Harold Surrarow at a Utica bar on LaFayette Street back in 1993.

Tomorrow, provided an attorney shows up to represent him, Skelton will enter a plea to a murder charge.

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