The practice of enforcing the law is a detailed, thorough, and often time-consuming process as both the plaintiff and the accused square off with each other and prosecute their cases zealously in front of the court. However, as a constant cold and drizzling rain pattered the roof of the Custer County Court on Monday, it was again clear that the normal smooth but slow process of the law had turned into a confused slog that matched the weather outside. Nancy Median-Kochis was again in front of Judge Lauren Swan for the third time since last November over a motions hearing regarding possible discovery violations of the District Attorney’s Office and the Custer County Sheriff’s Office.
Medina-Kochis is charged with at least five counts of accessory to a crime when she possibly fled the scene of the triple murder on Rocky Ridge Road in November of 2023 with her partner, Hanme Clark. The couple was arrested in New Mexico, and she made a $100,000 cash-only bond on February 12, 2024.
However, the prosecution of Medina-Kochis has been unusually slow due to the prosecution’s mishandling of the case by former District Attorney Linda Stanley. According to new District Attorney Jeff Lindsey, Stanley had spent almost no time working on the case when he took over the office in November of 2024.
Medina-Kochis’s Attorney, Chip Cutler, has filed a motion to dismiss over what he claims are discovery violations by the prosecution. Already, Judge Swan sanctioned the DA’s Office in the Clark case, and Medina-Kochis is making the argument that they are working blindly as lists of existing evidence have not been updated correctly.
Tensions flared in the courtroom on several occasions over the four-hour-long hearing. First was an exchange between Lindsey and Judge Swan when Lindsey argued that he was being ambushed by a document that Medina-Kochis wanted to enter into evidence. Judge Swan strongly disagreed and explained that the document had been properly discovered over a week before and cut off Lindsey’s protests by saying, “Don’t interrupt me again.”
Shortly after this exchange, Judge Swan explained to the dozen people gathered in the gallery that they should not engage in conversation with the two attorneys in front of her. A man stood up and, putting on his hat, made a statement to the judge that was not clear. He stormed out of the room. Judge Swan ordered the bailiff to hold him in contempt of court and be charged. There was some confusion over the identity of the man, with Lindsy claiming it was Hanme Clark’s father while Medina-Kochis stated his name was Juan Salazar.
The hearing did not get to the root of the discovery issue, and another hearing on the motion to dismiss will be held on June 6.
– Jordan Hedberg
