CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WTVR) – A sick attorney has delayed the ninth day of the George Huguely murder trial in Charlottesville.
Huguely’s defense attorney Francis Lawrence explained to the judge Thursday morning that his co-counsel in the case Rhonda Quagliana was feeling ill this morning and that he expected her to be able continue with the case by midday.
Howevver, ater a three-hour recess, the jury was told just after 12.30 p.m. that they would have the day off.
Huguely’s lead attorney, Francis Lawrence, addressed the judge quickly by saying that his co-counsel Rhonda Quagliana was still too sick to return to the courtroom.
“The good news is she’s called a doctor and a doctor has called her who was watching the news and saw she wasn’t feeling well,” said Lawrence.
The judge instructed the jury to be prepared to return Friday morning at 9.30 a.m. when testimony will resume.
Yesterday, Quagliana did the majority of the questioning of one of the defense’s key witnesses, a neuropathologist who would refute the prosecution’s theory about the blunt force trauma injury that caused her death.
During that line of questioning Quagliana repeatedly lowered her suit jacket until it was resting just above her elbows.
It seemed a strange action to take in front of a full courtroom, perhaps indicating that she was feverish or over heated.
Huguely, 24, faces six charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with the death of Yeardley Love, his ex-girlfriend. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Both Huguely and Love played lacrosse at the University of Virginia.
Huguely’s defense started after prosecutors rested their case Wednesday afternoon. [
During Wednesday’s testimony, former UVA lacrosse players and Huguely’s roommates testified that Huguely lied about where he was for a period of time on the night of Yeardley Love’s murder, reported CBS 6 News’ Catie Beck. [Read more]
Beck [Follow on Twitter] is providing updated trial coverage from Charlottesville.
You can also follow the trial on Twitter [Click here].
