Nick Lindsey, the teenager accused of fatally shooting a St. Petersburg police officer, will be able to hire a private investigator at the state’s expense to look into the case against him.
http://liarcatchers.com/wrongful_death.html
Chief Pinellas Circuit Judge J. Thomas McGrady approved the expenditure at a brief hearing this morning. The move is a routine one, as it helps ensure the right of a criminal defendant to get a fair trial.
At the request of Lindsey’s attorney, Dyril Flanagan, McGrady approved 50 hours of a private investigator’s time, at a rate of $40 an hour, under the auspices of the Justice Administrative Commission, a state entity.
Initially, Flanagan said outside court, he was considering asking that a private investigator, not overseen by the JAC, be appointed, at a rate of $75 an hour, as the woman has experience researching the background of families. But since a psychologist has been appointed recently, to evaluate Lindsey, there’s less of a need for that type of expertise, Flanagan said.
Lindsey faces a charge of first-degree murder in the Feb. 21 shooting of St. Petersburg police officer Dave Crawford.
