Judge won’t place restrictions on attorneys’ speech in Pope case

Kim Smith

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2000 | 10:04 a.m.

Saying she sees no evidence of "slanted" or undue coverage, District Judge Kathy Hardcastle this morning denied a prosecutor's motion to place restrictions on what attorneys in the Conan Pope case can say.

Pope, who will turn 16 Saturday, is awaiting trial in the January shooting death of his father, Frank Pope, 62.

The trial was postponed this morning until Feb. 20.

Defense attorneys contend that Pope killed his father when he appeared to threaten his sister after an angry outburst over dirty dishes.

Prosecutors believe the boy shot Frank Pope deliberately and intend to put his sister, Desiree, on the stand to testify against him.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Laurent filed a motion last week asking Hardcastle to set guidelines for the attorneys so that potential jurors won't be tainted by media coverage.

Laurent filed his motion after receiving several interview requests from media.

He alleges Pope's attorney, Kristina Wildeveld, "has been shopping around her story about Conan Pope." Wildeveld denies the allegation.

Laurent also asked Hardcastle if he could treat the Overton family as hostile witnesses, noting they have given conflicting statements. Pope fled to the Overton home that night and they have since become his legal guardians.

Deputy Special Public Defender Dayvid Figler replied that Laurent filed the motion because the Overtons "are not saying by letter and word the exact script the prosecutors so desperately need to bolster this case of nonmurder."

Hardcastle ruled this morning that it is too soon to rule on that motion and said she will do so at the time of trial.

Next week Hardcastle will hear arguments as to whether the case against Pope should be dismissed.

Wildeveld filed a motion Monday alleging prosecutors withheld three witness statements from the defense in which former neighbors said they had always been afraid for the Pope children's safety and had "set up watches so that the children always had someone to run to when their lives were threatened."