LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - The new lawyer for a man charged with killing a fellow Purdue University student in a classroom has asked a judge to move the case to another county.
Public defender Kirk Freeman also said he is seeking funding for a mental health evaluation of 23-year-old Cody Cousins, who revealed last week in court that he was being treated for schizophrenia, the Journal & Courier reported (https://on.jconline.com/1gfzM84 ).
Judge Thomas Busch said last week that Cousins, of Warsaw, could drop his attorney and receive a public defender to represent him against a charge of murder. He is accused of fatally shooting and stabbing 21-year-old Andrew Boldt in January inside a classroom on the West Lafayette campus. Boldt was from West Bend, Wisconsin.
Freeman argued that it would be impossible for Cousins to get a fair trial if jurors were drawn from a county where Purdue is the largest employer. He also said Cousins’ statement last week that he was being treated for schizophrenia was inflammatory and could prejudice jurors.
Freeman also asked the court for funds to pay for a mental health assessment for Cousins.
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