Court avoids potential conflict in murder case

WARREN

At last month’s arraignment hearing in the Trumbull County Courthouse for Dale A. Hatch, 25, charged in the Nov. 11 killing of Marco Dukes, 32, courthouse security personnel held high-powered rifles and deployed other special security measures to head off trouble.

Among the measures was bringing Hatch and co-defendant Derrick D. Peete, 22, to the courthouse in a van and having then walk inside through a special entrance instead of them walking across High Street from the Trumbull County jail.

Officials said they took the extra precautions because they had received “several credible threats” that some sort of violence might erupt, but the hearing unfolded without any problems.

For Hatch’s next hearing on Wednesday afternoon, officials decided that Hatch’s presence wasn’t required. Prosecutors and Hatch’s attorney met with Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to discuss routine matters such as the exchange of evidence, but Hatch stayed at the jail.

But about 10 friends and family members of Dukes staged a protest on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse with signs.

One man said the protest was over Hatch not being physically brought to the courthouse for the hearing.