Tossed

News from the west coast of Florida.

INVERNESS, Fla. - The confession of a man charged with kidnapping, raping and killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford isn't admissible in court, but the discovery of her body can be used as evidence, a judge ruled Friday.

John Evander Couey, a 47-year-old convicted sex offender, gave the confession to detectives, but also told them that he wanted to consult a lawyer. He wasn't given the opportunity to do so.

"This is a material and a profound violation of one of the most bedrock principles of criminal law," Circuit Judge Ric Howard said in issuing the ruling Friday.

If television crime dramas are accurate(A big assumption), once a defendant asks for a lawyer all questioning must stop till one is present. I do think that is the law, if so the police goofed bad with Couey.

By the way I see Knucklehead Judge Howard is on the case. If you want to read about this fine(NOT!) example of a sitting judge, read this. To be fair, the Prosecutor got a Knucklehead award too.

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