A Springfield man defending himself in a November 2021 sexual assault case in Adams County says he’s planning on asking for a change of venue in the case.
35 year old Bradley Yohn appeared in Adams County Court on December 14th and told Judge Roger Thomson that he wants to change venue because of media coverage on the case. Yohn says he doesn’t believe that there is anybody in the county that can serve as an impartial juror. Thomson disagreed and denied Yohn’s motion along with 9 others in requests for suppression of evidence and testimony.
According to Muddy River News, Thomson granted 6 other motions that Yohn presented including victim Christine Schmitt’s medical records for the past 5 years, funding to conduct independent analysis of DNA & fingerprints, excluding testimony of Dr. Aga Kagumba with Quincy Medical Group who interview Schmitt about the sexual assault that ultimately took her life, access to a cell phone, and photos of Schmitt to help form his defense.
Thomson did not rule on four other motions, according to Muddy River News. Three were motions for discovery of information that Josh Jones, assistant state’s attorney, said already had been turned over or didn’t exist. Thomson didn’t rule on a motion to suppress testimony from eight law enforcement officers, saying he couldn’t rule without more information about the testimony.
Thomson ruled he will address a motion to dismiss and a motion to suppress from June before the next motion hearing on Feb. 1st.
Yohn was admonished for what Thomson called “extracirricular comments” made during the hearing last Wednesday.
Muddy River News also says Yohn is also defending himself in two separate cases from October and November of this year. Yohn is accused of threatening to kill an Adams County Correctional Officer on October 15th. Yohn has also been charged with three counts of possession of electronic contraband in a penal institution on November 15th. Yohn is set to return to court on those cases for motions on January 3rd.