Father’s criminal past allowed as evidence

Kim Smith

Thursday, June 22, 2000 | 11:36 a.m.

Defense attorneys for a 15-year-old boy accused of killing his father in January will be allowed to present evidence about the father's criminal history and character at the boy's preliminary hearing.

Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis told Deputy Special Public Defenders Kristina Wildeveld and Dayvid Figler this morning that as long as they lay the proper legal groundwork to present the evidence, she will allow it.

The defense attorneys will attempt on Tuesday to convince Lippis that Conan Pope was either justified in shooting Frank Pope, 62, in January or that he should be tried on a less serious charge than first-degree murder, the charge prosecutors are pursuing.

Wildeveld and Figler intend to present evidence and witnesses to support their belief that Frank Pope was a "terrifying psychopath" who physically, emotionally and sexually abused his children.

Frank Pope's brother and sister are expected to testify for the defense, and evidence will be presented that shows Frank Pope served prison time for smothering an infant daughter to death in Washington in 1962 and was investigated for the death of another daughter in Massachusetts in 1963, Wildeveld said.

Prosecutors Melisa De La Garza and Christopher Laurent contend the boy shot his father in cold blood.

Laurent said one of the prosecution witnesses will be Conan Pope's sister, Desiree Pope, 16, who will testify the only violent person in the Pope household was her brother.