The new chief judge of the 8th Judicial Circuit is allowing an appeal in a major Adams County case to proceed.
Muddy River News reports Judge Roger Thomson ruled on Friday morning that defense attorney Mark Wykoff can file an amended motion for a new trial for 37-year old Bradley Yohn of Quincy. Thomson also allowed Wykoff to file an amended motion to reconsider the sentence given to Yohn in September 2023.
Thomson gave Yohn 30-year sentences for home invasion, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated vehicular hijacking. He gave Yohn 40 years for aggravated criminal sexual assault with a weapon for a total of 130 years. Yohn is serving each sentence consecutively at the Lawrence Correctional Center in Sumner. A 10-man, two-woman jury determined on July 17, 2023, that Yohn was guilty of the crimes he committed on Nov. 9, 2021, at the home of Christine “Tina” Lohman Schmitt in rural Quincy. Schmitt died 33 days later from injuries sustained in the attack.
Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck has already disagreed with previous filings made by Wykoff, including rosecutorial misconduct in referring to the death of Schmitt, errors in jury instructions, not giving Yohn the proper number of peremptory challenges he was entitled to in jury selection, not granting a change of venue for the trial or errors in allowing extended media coverage over Yohn’s objection. Keck has objected to Yohn receiving a new trial.
Thomson told the attorneys he was taking the matter “under advisement” and will render a written decision on the request for a new trial “shortly.”