TUCSON, Ariz (KGUN) — Federal prosecutors are under orders now to give Pima County Attorney Laura Conover access to a murder suspect. That’s the ruling that just came down in Conover’s lawsuit against US Attorney General Pam Boni and Federal prosecutors.
Tucson Police arrested Julio Aguirre on murder charges after a mid town crime spree left one man dead and a long list of other victims.
Aguirre was hurt during his arrest. He was hospitalized when the FBI arrested him on Federal charges of carjacking leading to a death and being in the US illegally. Conover says since then her prosecutors have been shut out of any access to Aguirre.
She says she needs to have him formally charged in front of a state judge so she has legal standing to interview witnesses. She says many of the witnesses are elderly and may not be able to testify if there is much more delay.
In a Federal court hearing Monday, Assistant US Attorneys said it was up to them to decide whether to grant access to Aguirre. They questioned Judge Rosemary’s Marquez authority to order.
Thursday morning Judge Marquez did order Federal prosecutors to make Aguirre available for initial hearings on the state charges. The hearings can be by video conference so Aguirre can stay in Federal custody.
Laura Conover released a statement in response to the ruling it says in part: “...From the start of this case, our only goal was to provide justice for all seven local victims instead of only one victim as contemplated by federal prosecutors. With this victory in court, we can now do so….”
