The defense attorney for Twin Peaks biker Christopher Jacob Carrizal will not represent him in the upcoming retrial.
Judge Matt Johnson held a hearing in the 54th District Court Thursday afternoon to hear the motion from Carrizal's attorney, Casie Gotro, to withdraw from the case.
Johnson granted Gotro's motion and relieved her of all her duties related to the case.
Gotro said in court she would help Carrizal's future counsel with anything they may need leading up to the next trial.
"When you withdraw from a case, the only thing that does is it means that I don't get the official notices, the docket, the status conferences. But as far as my ethical and professional obligations to Jake and frankly my personal obligations, I like the guy. I'm going to help him in every way I possibly can," Gotro said.
She also said she will help Carrizal find a new attorney for the trial. The two met after the hearing on Thursday to discuss Carrizal's next steps in finding an attorney.
Gotro said she made the decision to withdraw from the case because of financial reasons. She said took the case pro bono and worked unpaid for six weeks.
"My agreement had been a monthly payment from the defense fund for my fees and my expenses. And at the end of the day at the conclusion of trial, between my expenses and what was to be paid, I made a total of 8-thousand dollars in eight months. That's not sustainable for me," Gotro said.
Gotro said she normally has one pro bono case on her docket, but this case was much different.
"This case was all consuming I mean I was a month, six weeks at an Airbnb. You know I couldn't take any other cases, I couldn't. It was just enough to deal with the late disclosures they were giving me. So I physically can't do it," Gotro said.
She will be assisting other attorneys in upcoming cases because of her knowledge of the case.
Carrizal's first trial ended in a mistrial in November after a jury couldn't reach a verdict.
The retrial is set for April 2nd.
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