Militia Commander Fires Lawyer
Last updated Friday, March 9, 2007 8:34 PM CST in News
By Dan Craft
The Morning News
FAYETTEVILLE -- A Black Oak man can fire his lawyer, but will have to take whatever defense attorney the court appoints, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Hollis Wayne Fincher, 60, was convicted in January of possessing illegal, unregistered weapons, including machine guns and a sawed-off shotgun. A sentencing date has not been set.
Fincher asked U.S. District Judge Jimm Larry Hendren to appoint David Dunagin of Fort Smith as his attorney. Fincher fired Oscar Stilley of Fort Smith, who defended Fincher during his trial, citing irreconcilable differences between the two.
Stilley and Fincher may still see each other, however, in the Sebastian County Jail. Fincher has been held in the jail since his November arrest, while Stilley is completing a 30-day work-release sentence for failing to pay sanctions to defendants in a suit Stilley filed against them that was ultimately dismissed.
Dunagin was appointed by the court to represent Fincher following his arrest, but released when Fincher hired Stilley.
"We don't normally appoint an attorney of the defendant's choosing," Hendren said. "Usually, it's simply the next one on the panel."
"Mr. Dunagin is the only other attorney I know, sir," Fincher responded.
Hendren recessed court and contacted Dunagin, who declined to represent Fincher, Hendren said.
Fincher will be appointed a lawyer from the court's list of qualified attorneys, Hendren said.
The public defender's wing of the U.S. attorney's office normally represents indigent defendants, but recused from Fincher's case because of a conflict of interest, Hendren said.
Fincher faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Reader Comments (11 comment(s))
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I Don't Think Anyone Cares wrote on Mar 10, 2007 10:16 AM:
According to the Courts own rulings they never had a case against Mr. Fincher wrote on Mar 10, 2007 2:03 PM:
More on ''corpus delecti'' wrote on Mar 10, 2007 2:07 PM:
''corpus delecti'' wrote on Mar 10, 2007 2:37 PM:
Judge Jimm Hendren and Wendy Johnson Railroaded Hollis Wayne Fincher ''Free Wayne'' wrote on Mar 10, 2007 3:06 PM:
Legal Land wrote on Mar 10, 2007 6:28 PM:
A political prisoner wrote on Mar 11, 2007 8:22 AM:
Sooo wrote on Mar 11, 2007 8:38 AM:
Prison population statistics wrote on Mar 11, 2007 8:54 AM:


To Fincher Family wrote on Mar 9, 2007 10:03 PM: