BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – State and Defense representatives returned to Raleigh County Court on Tuesday to address a continuance request in ongoing court proceedings for Natalie Cochran.
Cochran is currently serving time in relation to a fraud charges and has pled “not guilty” to charges of First-Degree Murder with regard to the death or her husband Michael Cochran.
Discussed at length during the proceedings, which were overseen by Judge Kirkpatrick, was the issue of discovery in the process. Namely, the Defense was adamant that the State had yet to provide specific documentation pertaining to the case, while the State asserts that all parties should be adequately equipped to move forward to trial.
The Defense also stated that they had received evidence stored on a flash drive as recently as Monday night and that they had been unable to assess the evidence at the time of the hearing.
“We have been attempting to have access to those physical exhibits – the electronics – for months,” said Stanley Selden, one of two Defense attorney’s representing Cochran.
Representing the State, Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield countered that the discovery process is, in fact, complete with regard to the case, declaring, “There’s a difference in discovery and the Defense Council’s investigation of the case. Discovery is condluded. It is complete.”
Representation also clashed over Cochran’s purported health concerns, with the State asserting that Cochran had made fraudulent claims to healthcare professionals in different instances, including one in which Cochran is said to have received insulin which was later allegedly used to end the life of Michael Cochran.
Another topic of interest was that of Cochran’s custody arrangements, with the Defense arguing that Cochran should be housed federally while the State insisted that housing at the nearby Southern Regional Jail would be beneficial to all parties. Judge Kirkpatrick would ultimately agree that Cochran would remain in the custody of the State at Southern Regional.
The Defense was successful in further delaying trial proceedings via continuance, with the planned August 12th date having been pushed back to October 28th. Judge Kirkpatrick characterized the development as disheartening and was adamant that further delay of the court process be avoided.
“I don’t want to hear anything further about further postponement or continuance of this trial,” stated Judge Kirkpatrick. “I want it to go forward as scheduled now on October the 28th.”
