JACKSON/GALLATIN COs.—Just caught wind of the big, big race for state’s attorney in Jackson County, this involving the two attorneys who are duking it out to become Mike Wepsiec’s replacement, Matt Chancey and Mike Carr.
Mike Carr
Those of you who followed along with the detailed coverage we gave of the Raymond Martin trial in September 2010 will remember Carr being the assistant U.S. prosecutor who helped James M. Cutchin drive the nails into Raymondo’s coffin.
Carr wholly impressed us (and those few media representatives who did stay for the majority of the trial, including our favorite west side newsgal, Becky Malkovich….) with the methodical way he presented the state’s case via questioning of witnesses, not the easiest thing to do; it’s kind of like Jeopardy! on TV, whereby you have to elicit answers not by making statements, but by asking questions.
Carr made the process, that can be quite disjointed at times, seem fluid and easy to understand. He had some of the most intricate portions of the case to disseminate: that of the money handling for Martin as alleged to have been conducted by his then-wife, Tina. One of the counts on which Martin was convicted was Witness Tampering, wherein he offered money to two hapless ex-cons in order to get them to kill two witnesses against him, Jeremy Potts and David Woods. The ex-cons had no intentions of following through with it, but Martin didn’t know that. So he had his wife Tina wrangle together enough money to pay them hefty sums up front, then more when the two witnesses were dead. The testimony was very detailed, and quite a lot of people had some input into it.
However, one of the people distinctly missing from the testimony was the missus, Tina Martin.
Tina Naas, back in the Martin days....
We never saw Tina at that trial. She was not indicted by the feds in conjunction with any part of Martin’s case. We don’t know why she was not, as she was clearly involved in it, testimony showing that involvement was from the get-go. Instead, she was charged in Jackson County, where Martin sat in jail awaiting trial, for her part in planning/carrying out the murder-for-hire scheme, this coming about in january 2010. She was arrested, had a preliminary hearing, and bonded out, all within a matter of the first month of 2010.
And that, essentially, is where the case stands.
We can’t find out anything about Tina’s case. Every time we go to Jackson County, it turns out that “the judge has the file in his office.” This, actually, is against the rules. The judge can impound the case, but he has to cite a good reason for it and let the public know about it, and even then, it can be challenged, because he’s essentially keeping public information away from the public. We don’t know why the whole thing is being kept such a state secret. Martin’s trial is over and his butt is sitting in the federal pen, ostensibly for the rest of his life. So we’re wondering if this isn’t the machination of El Prosecutor Grande, Mike Wepseic.
Prosecutor el grande Mike Wepsiec, talking to TV reporters during the Tina Martin preliminary, January 2010
Wepsiec announced a few months back that he would not be seeking another term as state’s attorney, leaving the two challengers (both Dems) to duke it out in the Primary.
But that’s not all he’s leaving them—he’s leaving them with the pending case of Tina Martin (now Naas; she divorced Raymondo a year ago and got her maiden name restored) of Solicitation to Commit Murder for Hire….at least, that’s what it looks like.
Tina’s case has been under “case management” status for a long, long loooooonnnnnngggg time….having all kinds of stalling going on, including losing her attorney, Paul Christenson, last year after he had to bow out, having had a stroke. As you can see, the file is now showing an attorney, Mark Costa, has taken the case. Next hearing is in mid-April….and those of us who’ve been following this case for more than two years don’t have any great hope that it’ll be over then. Realistically, we believe Wepsiec is going to allow this to be dragged out until early December, when he’s out of office and it’s not his problem anymore. Wouldn’t you?
Which means that there’s the possibility that Carr may have the case. Because really, he will probably win. He’s a great prosecutor, and everyone in the area knows him. They don’t know the other guy as well. And if Carr wins, he’ll be saddled with the prosecution of Tina, should this drag out….at which point we ask: Is Tina going to claim that this is some kind of a conflict? After all, Carr PROSECUTED her husband…! And she’s had all kinds of excuses, apparently, up to this point, to drag her case through the court in Jackson County….why stop doing that now?
Of course, we all know this isn’t the case….the prosecutor of her ex can of course prosecute her, in a different or same venue, no prob. She should consider herself lucky she hasn’t been charged in the federal venue.
But it’s interesting that one of the attorneys who prosecuted Raymondo could end up with her case. Fitting, as it were.
We don’t know what’s going to happen with Tina….but keep up with us here at the site, and if we find out, we’ll certainly let you know.