Lawyer stays on in murder case

July 26, 2016 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Dave Betras had to wear two hats Monday.

In Philadelphia at the Democratic National Convention for his role as chairman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, he also had to phone in to Judge Maureen Sweeney in Mahoning County Pleas Court for a motion he filed to withdraw as attorney for Frankie Hudson, who faces charges in a December 2010 homicide on the South Side.

Betras, who was appointed by the court to represent Hudson, won him a not-guilty verdict last June in a murder trial and also represented Hudson on charges that he belonged to a criminal gang, charges for which Hudson now is serving a prison sentence. Hudson is set to stand trial Aug. 8 for the Dec. 14, 2010, death of Christopher Weston, 44, who was killed at a market on Overland Avenue where Weston was working. Additional charges were filed July 14 against Hudson, charging him with conspiring to kill a witness while he has been in the jail awaiting trial.

Hudson was not indicted for Weston’s death until 2015.

By phone, Betras said he filed the motion to withdraw because Hudson does not want him on the case because Hudson does not believe Betras is fighting for him.

Betras’ partner, Frank Caseese, met with Hudson in private before Hudson met on the record with Judge Sweeney and told the judge he decided he did not want Betras to withdraw from his case.

Judge Sweeney told Hudson because he has court-appointed counsel, he does not have the right to pick and choose who represents him. Hudson said he understood.

Betras will remain his lawyer.

“I’m not trying to be difficult, your Honor,” Hudson said.

Because of the additional charges filed July 14, Judge Sweeney agreed to continue the trial until Aug. 22.