Quinn’s sentencing continued at hearing
BEAVER CITY - With a sizable crowd on hand to observe or support Billy Quinn at his sentencing hearing Thursday, there was a 30-minute delay while attorneys for both the prosecution and the defense met in judge’s chambers in advance of the hearing Thursday afternoon in the district courtroom at the Furnas County Courthouse in Beaver City.
Upon the return of all parties to the courtroom, the hearing commenced and District Court Judge James Doyle awarded the defense a continuance until just before Christmas.
Once the hearing began, Quinn’s defense counsel, Joe Howard, asked the judge for a continuance citing a need for the judge to be able to read the entire transcript of the trial because he had not overseen the nearly-two-week trial in June. District Court Judge David Urbom has presided over the trial, but retired a month ago. Judge Doyle was then assigned to preside over and deliver sentencing.
Howard argued that it’s important for a sentencing judge to understand the “full picture and nuance of a trial.” He said the presentence report prepared by the district probation office includes just a short summation of a twoweek trial. He asked that the transcript be prepared and given to the judge and that he review it “page-by-page” to gain a true understanding of all the testimony. Howard added that there would be additional letters of support for Quinn by then.
Speaking for the prosecution, Corey O’Brien of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office said that while “there’s not a person in this courtroom or this county that doesn’t wish this to be over,” he did not oppose the continuance out of fairness to all sides. He did request that the judge have access to all evidence exhibits, some of which may not be included in the court transcript. “Only then would the court be in the most advantageous position to render a full and adequate sentence.”
Judge Doyle said he is not provided a full transcript of the trial because one is not produced unless and until an appeal is filed. The court reporter would need substantial time to prepare it and that work would be outside the scope of her regular full-time duties. He said that through conversations with the court reporter, she would need seven weeks to get it together. He set a date of December 10 to have the transcript prepared.
Doyle then set a new sentencing hearing for December 22 at 8:30 a.m.at the Furnas County District Courtroom before adjourning the hearing.
