The request for a new lawyer has been granted to a South Jacksonville man currently serving an eight-year prison sentence for possession of criminal child pornography.
Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll was in the courtroom for 39-year-old Bobby Lawson Jr’s hearing on Tuesday.
According to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Lawson was arrested in April of 2012 after authorities searched his home and found two laptops that allegedly contained child pornography. The arrest was the result of a joint investigation by authorities in Illinois and South Dakota through partnerships among the states’ Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces.
Lawson was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections in 2013.
Noll explains why Lawson asked Judge David Cherry for new representation.
“For an appeal to be perfected there has to be certain paperwork filed and certain motions filed before the appellate court can hear the case. The defendant in this case was of the opinion that the attorney he had didn’t file in the correct way, one of these appellate motions that is required in order for the appellate court to hear any appeal. Since he was making allegations against the attorney, a new attorney was appointed to investigate those allegations and, if need be, reduce those allegations in a written motion to present to the court, ” says Noll.
Elliot Turpin will replace Tom Piper as Lawson’s representative.
Lawson’s next court appearance is December 8th.