Defense in murder case wants subpoena quashed

SANDPOINT — Defense attorneys for accused killer Jacob Corban Coleman are moving to block the use of his public school records in court.

Attorneys for Coleman, who’s charged with first-degree murder, argue in court documents that a subpoena for his Puyallup, Wash., school district records was incorrectly issued by the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office and independent of the court.

A hearing on the motion to quash the subpoena was set for Tuesday in 1st District, but was rescheduled for July 27. The sides agreed to postpone it so they can prepare their respective arguments.

The significance of the school records, if any, is not disclosed in court records.

The defense motion is calling for the destruction of any documents obtained by the subpoena and an order prohibiting the prosecution from filing subpoenas independently of the court. The motion also seeks an order notifying the defense any time an application for a subpoena is filed by the state, according to the motion filed by attorneys R. Keith Roark, Jay Weston Logsdon and Susie Jensen.

The defense argues an Idaho criminal rule permits judges to quash or modify subpoenas if compliance would be unreasonable or oppressive.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall objected to the defense motion as “unusual” and “inflammatory” and argued that the short notice of motion did not provide time to properly and fully respond to the request. Moreover, criminal court rules require at least seven days to elapse before a motion can be heard in court, Marshall said in court documents.

Coleman, a 20-year-old Puyallup resident, is accused of repeatedly stabbing Gagandeep Singh, a cab driver whom Coleman hailed a ride from at Spokane International Airport on Aug. 28, 2017. Coleman, according to testimony in the case, directed Singh to drive him to Clark Fork. En route, Coleman had Singh stop at the Ponderay Walmart, where Coleman purchased a hunting knife authorities said was used to kill Singh.

Singh ultimately stopped in Kootenai, where he was stabbed as many as 27 times, according to a coroner’s report.

Coleman is charged with first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty, setting the stage for a six-week jury trial in 2019. He remains held at the Bonner County Jail.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall put the defense on notice the state would be seeking the death penalty against Coleman due to the viciousness and callousness of Singh’s murder. Bonner County’s last death penalty case dates back to a execution-style homicide in 1996.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.