Lewis County Attorneys

Robinson case recessed after "situation" arises

VANCEBURG -- The morning of the fourth day in the trial of Gary Robinson was filled with additional testimony from Wesley Allen as defense attorney Ray Bogucki cross-examined him.

Robinson has been charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly hiring Allen to kill Garrison resident John Jamison. Jamison is married to a woman with whom Robinson had previously had a relationship. Robinson and Dana Jamison have a child in common. John Jamison was shot multiple times the morning of Jan. 15, 2010 and is now in a persistent vegetative state in a nursing home.

A break for lunch that was originally supposed to end at 12:45 p.m., was prolonged when the court did not go back into session until nearly 2 p.m. As the jurors filed back into the courtroom, Robinson was conspicuously absent from the seat he had occupied between Bogucki and co-counsel Luke Bentley since the trial began Monday.

Judge Robert Conley, who is presiding over the case, immediately announced the court would recess for the rest of the day. He said something had come up and then asked if the jurors were aware of anything that had occurred during the lunch hour.

The jurors sat in silence as Conley explained that because of the "situation," he was not sure if the trial would continue the next day. He advised jurors to call a recorder to determine if they should arrive today for the continuation of the trial.

Bogucki asked after the jurors had filed out whether all parties connected with the trial are under a gag order and Conley confirmed that was the case for attorneys or anyone else involved.

"At this point, I'd hate to waste four days of testimony," Conley said.

Conley then addressed the audience, acknowledging everyone in the audience had a stake in the trial or else they wouldn't be there. However, he admonished that they should limit discussion of the case outside the courtroom because more talk "stirs up" the situation. If the trial becomes tainted, Conley said he would declare a mistrial.

A Lewis County dispatcher confirmed an accident had occurred at 12:22 p.m., Thursday on Kentucky 9, just outside of Vanceburg. The dispatcher confirmed there were two injuries in the accident but deferred on answering any more questions.

"I don't know if I'm allowed to discuss this," the dispatcher said.

Read about John A. Booth's counsel named top ... - Lewis County Sirens

Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Olympian writes that defense attorney James Dixon has been honored with an award as Thurston County’s lawyer of the year.

Dixon is the court-appointed attorney who represents John A. Booth Jr., the former Onalaska resident charged in last summer’s triple homicide in the Salkum area. Booth’s trial is set for the end of August and expected to last for about 10 days.

The Olympia-based attorney started working in Thurston County 21 years ago, according to news reporter Jeremy Pawloski.

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