Lawyers for Jamie Snow and the state agreed Monday that both sides need more time to discuss issues related to more than 8,000 pages of documents linked to his 2001 conviction on murder charges in the shooting death of William Little.
The review of records and exhibits was ordered in March by Schuyler County Judge Ramon Escapa at Snow’s first hearing in a decade on his petition seeking exoneration on the murder charges. Snow’s case was moved to the 8th Judicial Circuit because of judicial conflicts in McLean County where Snow was convicted nine years after the slaying.
Snow’s lawyer, Lauren Myerscough-Mueller with the Exoneration Project, told the judge she and McLean County First Assistant State's Attorney Brad Rigdon have discussed the records, but “there’s a couple of outstanding issues we're still working on.”
Rigdon confirmed he has looked through Snow's files.
The defense and state are negotiating which records the defense is entitled to use as part of Snow’s case. A motion also is pending on DNA testing of evidence.
Snow, now 55, attended the hearing via Zoom from a room at Stateville Correctional Center.
Little was shot to death on Easter Sunday in 1991 as he worked behind the counter at a now-closed gas station near downtown Bloomington.
Snows has maintained his innocence in Little’s killing. In his petition, Snow has claimed state witnesses have changed or recanted their testimony since the trial. He also argues he was denied a fair trial because his lawyers, Frank Picl and G. Patrick Riley, who was later disbarred, were ineffective when they represented him.
The next hearing is set for July 12 when lawyers are expected to disclose if an agreement has been reached on the records, or if a hearing is needed to resolve the issues.
