The defense team for Mark Redwine, a Vallecito man accused of killing his son, Dylan, grew this week after a Colorado judge allowed an attorney to reenter the case after the dismissal of a criminal complaint against the public defender.
Redwine will be represented by three attorneys instead of two now that District Court Judge Jeffrey Wilson has acknowledged Colorado public defender John Moran’s renewed ability to provide effective counsel in the second-degree murder case.
Moran withdrew from representing Redwine in August after his nonappearance at two court hearings last summer. His absences came after an arrest on accusations of domestic violence and weeks of approved administrative leave.
A Front Range-based public defender was appointed in his stead.
But prosecutors have since dropped charges against Moran, citing “insufficient evidence” to prosecute.
Moran “has resumed appearing for the public defender’s office,” according to court documents, and “for at least the last several weeks, (he has) shown a current willingness and/or ability to appear in court.”
Wilson, in his order allowing Moran to withdraw in August, cited the attorney’s “actions (and lack of action)” – referring to the public defender’s absence at hearings – as reason for allowing him to withdraw from Redwine’s case.
The judge’s order this week says, “the court does not expect this conflict to re-appear.”
Wilson also wrote that Redwine “desires the court allow Mr. Moran to be a part of his defense team,” court documents show. Moran joins Justin Bogan, lead public defender in La Plata County, and Eric Vanatta, a senior public defender out of Fort Collins, in Redwine’s defense.
“With Mr. Moran’s previous work on this case, his previous trial experience and the fact that there will be three attorneys dividing the responsibilities to represent Mr. Redwine, Mr. Redwine is more likely to receive effective assistance of counsel if the court allows Mr. Moran to re-enter ...,” Wilson wrote in his order.
bhauff @durangoherald.com