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“Hard work was key to unusual victory” says defense counsel Mike Nichols

© NLF Update

An Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Ordered yesterday that certain statements by Lisa Holland in her upcoming murder trial will be suppressed. Judge Paula Manderfield ruled after a two-day Hearing that the last 35 minutes of a video-taped statement that Ms. Holland cannot be heard by a jury. “I’m not saying that Detective Valentine did anything wrong” Manderfield ruled “but she (Ms. Holland) should have been told that her lawyer was present”. Manderfield held that Detective Valentine interrogated Ms. Holland improperly for over 30 minutes following the arrival of her attorney. It was not clear whether the Detective had any idea that an attorney was actually there. However, Valentine admitted during cross-examination by Ms. Holland’s attorney, Mike Nichols that “it was in the back of my mind” that the interview could get interrupted or even cut short by the arrival of an attorney.

Nichols called attorney Andrew Abood to the witness stand to help bolster the claims that police did not immediately alert Ms. Holland that an attorney was present and waiting to speak to her.

Lisa Holland and her husband, Tim, are both charged with Open Murder and Child Abuse 1st Degree in the death of their son, Ricky. The trial is scheduled to begin on September 11, 2006.