John Brochu, 25, was driving the car involved in the shootings and subsequent pursuit. He pleaded guilty to reduced charges in lieu of trial in August, and today's testimony at the retrial of Bruce Suggs will be the first time his account of the night's events will be heard in court.
Police report that Suggs, 24, of Mason, was the back-seat passenger in Brochu's car March 9 when front-seat passenger, Matthew Hutchinson, 23, of Mason, wounded two officers before taking his own life. Suggs faces two charges of complicity to felonious assault, complicity to failure to comply with orders of a police officer and tampering with evidence. A June jury deadlocked on the first three charges, causing the retrial, and the failure to comply charge was added after Brochu's plea. If convicted on all four charges, Suggs could face a maximum of more than 26 years in prison.
Attorneys debated Wednesday morning whether Brochu could mention his conviction in front of Suggs' jury, or whether defense attorney Konrad Kircher could ask him questions referring to Hutchinson's mental state and family history.
Judge Craig Hedric stated he would only permit the mental health questions outside the presence of the jury, and plans to instruct Brochu not to disclose his sentence.
"Even if it is relevant, I must go through this balancing act," Hedric said, adding that the testimony ran too great a risk of tainting the jury's perception of Suggs' charges.
The morning's witnesses included detectives from West Chester Twp. and Sharonville who processed the crime scenes, as well as West Chester Police officer Jeff Newman, one of the officers who guarded Suggs during his stay in Bethesda North Hospital as he recovered from injuries suffered in the car crash March 9.
Police report that Suggs, 24, of Mason, was the back-seat passenger in Brochu's car March 9 when front-seat passenger, Matthew Hutchinson, 23, of Mason, wounded two officers before taking his own life. Suggs faces two charges of complicity to felonious assault, complicity to failure to comply with orders of a police officer and tampering with evidence. A June jury deadlocked on the first three charges, causing the retrial, and the failure to comply charge was added after Brochu's plea. If convicted on all four charges, Suggs could face a maximum of more than 26 years in prison.
Attorneys debated Wednesday morning whether Brochu could mention his conviction in front of Suggs' jury, or whether defense attorney Konrad Kircher could ask him questions referring to Hutchinson's mental state and family history.
Judge Craig Hedric stated he would only permit the mental health questions outside the presence of the jury, and plans to instruct Brochu not to disclose his sentence.
"Even if it is relevant, I must go through this balancing act," Hedric said, adding that the testimony ran too great a risk of tainting the jury's perception of Suggs' charges.
The morning's witnesses included detectives from West Chester Twp. and Sharonville who processed the crime scenes, as well as West Chester Police officer Jeff Newman, one of the officers who guarded Suggs during his stay in Bethesda North Hospital as he recovered from injuries suffered in the car crash March 9.
