DEFENSE ATTORNEY’S BLAME DELAY ON THE PROSECUTION

The attorneys for an Allegheny County man charged with killing his nine-year-old son in New Kensington say that prosecution delays have left them unable to move forward with preparing their defense. The Trib reports that 41-year-old Jean Charles has been in jail since he was charged with first-degree murder in September of 2022. The body of his son Auzree was found near Jean’s home at East Ken Manor five months earlier. During a court hearing last March, defense attorneys said they expected to file pretrial motions in the case before the end of 2023. Those motions have yet to be filed. During a court appearance Monday, defense attorneys blamed the delay on the prosecution. Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Echard told Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio that the District Attorney’s Office had struggled to turn over its evidence to the defense but most of it has now been disclosed. Additional digital files are being prepared for release to the defense.