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Judge in Delphi murders case defends keeping parts of proceedings private

Delphi murders judge files brief with Indiana Supreme Court

DELPHI, Ind. (WISH) — In a filing with the Indiana Supreme Court, the special judge in the Delphi murders case on Thursday defended her decisions to keep some parts of the court proceedings private.

Richard Allen, 51, of Delphi, was arrested on Oct. 28, 2022, for the February 2017 murders of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi.

Judge Frances Gull, who is from Allen County, says in Thursday’s 20-page filing that Allen waited too long to object, never filed an objection with her, and that his defense team violated state and federal standards by naming Abby and Libby in the a memo with more than 100 pages this past fall.

Allen filed his concerns with the court after being unable to access documents through the online Chronological Case Summary. Gull notes in her filing that court clerks, not judges, have the duties to maintain the Chronological Case Summary.

In a separate action, the Indiana Supreme Court has asked Gull to answer questions about Allen’s attorneys, who withdrew from the case, and calls for her removal from the case. She has until Nov. 27 to provide a response to the state justices.

Andrew Baldwin and Brad Rozzi withdrew as Allen’s defense attorneys in an Oct. 19 hearing. They withdrew after an evidence leak from Baldwin’s office.

The judge’s response Thursday came in the same week that a July letter to the court was unsealed. An inmate at the Westville Correctional Facility in July notified the judge that Allen was being abused and mistreated.

News 8’s Brady Gibson contributed to this report.

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