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George Huguely Trial Day 10: Sick lawyer halts trial, again

Posted at 11:29 AM, Feb 17, 2012
and last updated 2012-02-28 18:48:46-05

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WTVR) - The murder trial of George Huguely ended early Friday morning in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Around 11:00 a.m. after a brief recess, the lead defense attorney for George Huguely told the judge that his co-counsel was indeed too sick to continue with the case today after a full day of the trial postponed yesterday because of her illness.

"This co-counsel is seriously projectile vomiting," said Fran Lawrence.

Lawrence argued that his partner Rhonda Quagliana was prepared to question all the medical witnesses in the case. Lawrence said that the defense has now been through all of the non-medical witnesses and he is not prepared to take over for Quagliana in that capacity.

The judge agreed to postpone the case until Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. and dismissed the jury for the day.

The court will re-certify witnesses at 1:00 p.m. because several subpoenas have now expired.

This delay will more than likely push the trial in to a third week to begin on Wednesday.

Huguely, 24, faces six charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with the death of Yeardley Love////, his ex-girlfriend. Both Huguely and Love played lacrosse at the University of Virginia. [Read more about the case]

Before court was halted, the defense brought two witnesses to the stand Friday morning to testify about an argument Huguely and Love had just days before her death. The incident involved Love entering Huguely's apartment angrily and late at night to question the presence of two girls who were visting inside at the time.

Testimony confirmed the incident occurred on April 27, 2010.

Two high school seniors considering attending UVA in the next school year went to Charlottesville to visit a friend who was a current student there.

The girls testified that they went to a bar where they were hanging out in a group that included George Huguely. After becoming separated from the friend they were visiting, they say they were invited back to Huguely's apartment to watch a movie.

While on the couch there some time after midnight, the girls testified that Yeardley Love would enter the apartment unannounced and angry.

Both say Love was frustrated and began questioning Huguely about who they were.

"She asked who we were and if we were the girl's George had been texting, and George told her to leave," said Alice Billmeyer.

The second girl present, Caroline Wattenmaker, also said that at some point Love hit Huguely with her purse several times while Huguely was asking her to leave.

When the girls were questioned about Huguely's behavior that night both say he was polite and "perfectly nice" to them.

CBS 6 reporter Catie Beck [Follow on Twitter] is providing updated trial coverage from Charlottesville.

You can also follow the trial on Twitter [Click here].