The Kansas Supreme Courtroom Friday disbarred a prosecutor who it stated engaged in "a severe sample of grossly unethical misconduct" throughout a 2012 trial that led to a girl being sentenced to life in jail for the murders of her ex-husband and his fiancee.
Prosecutor Jacqie Spradling "repeatedly made arguments to the jury that lacked any evidentiary help, deliberately lied to this courtroom in her briefs and in oral arguments, and made false statements throughout the disciplinary investigation," the courtroom wrote in its opinion Friday.
Spradling can now not apply regulation in Kansas. An legal professional for Spradling didn't instantly reply to a request for remark. One justice dissented, calling Spradling one of the crucial expert, profitable, and professional trial attorneys on this state," although acknowledging that she made "errors" that have been "severe and dear."
It has been 20 years since Kansas couple Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness have been discovered gunned down in Harkness' Topeka dwelling. In August, for the second time, Sisco's ex-wife Dana Chandler can be tried for the double homicide.
Sisco, 47, and his fiancee, Harkness, 53, have been every shot a number of instances with a 9 mm weapon on July 7, 2002. Chandler, now 62, was questioned within the instant aftermath, however wasn't charged at first.
For the subsequent 9 years the case acquired frequent publicity as investigators sought data from the general public. "48 Hours" broadcast the present "Haunted" in October 2009, which seemed on the chilly case, together with a 2007 report commissioned by regulation enforcement that concluded that Chandler was, within the view of regulation enforcement, the "major suspect."
A detective advised CBS' "48 Hours" in 2009 that investigators dominated out theft as a motive early on, noting that Sisco had "a reasonably substantial amount of money in (his) pockets" when his physique was discovered, cash received that night time at a close-by on line casino. Harkness was discovered carrying a diamond bracelet, a Rolex watch and a gold ring, in keeping with courtroom information.
As a substitute, regulation enforcement centered on members of the family and the individuals who knew the victims, in the end zeroing in on Chandler.
She was arrested and entered not responsible pleas to 2 counts of first-degree homicide in 2011. A 12 months later, after a trial during which her kids testified in opposition to her, a Shawnee County jury convicted her on each counts and she or he was sentenced to life in jail. "48 Hours" broadcast a second present, "My Dad's Killer," in September 2012, reporting on the case and Chandler's trial and conviction.
The March 2012 trial included 10 days of testimony, 80 witnesses and practically 900 displays, "but regardless of this testimonial and documentary bulk, the State's case relied on restricted circumstantial proof," the Kansas Supreme Courtroom would later write in ruling on her attraction from her conviction.
The proof offered by prosecutor Jacqie Spradling wasn't simply circumstantial. In at the least one occasion, it was "made-up" and "deceptive," in keeping with the Kansas Supreme Courtroom, which in 2018 overturned Chandler's conviction.
In Spradling's closing arguments she requested the jury, "How else do we all know the defendant is responsible? Mike obtained a safety from abuse, a courtroom order."
Spradling continued: "He utilized and stated, 'Hey, decide, please order this lady to steer clear of me and the decide agreed. And in 1998, which means one 12 months after he filed for the divorce, he was persevering with to have issues with the defendant not leaving him alone. So he obtained a courtroom order saying she has to remain away. The safety from abuse order didn't cease the defendant, although."
The truth is, the courtroom stated in its 2018 opinion, no such order of safety was within the trial file.
The Kansas Supreme Courtroom discovered different "errors" by the prosecutor, however concluded that the prosecution's false declare a couple of safety order was itself sufficient to overturn the conviction, as a result of it "conveyed severe opposed impressions to the jury."
"They improperly declared that a decide independently reviewed Chandler's conduct and concluded she was harmful sufficient to justify a courtroom order for Mike's safety. Additionally they advised the jury Chandler was so uncontrolled that she violated that courtroom order," the Kansas Supreme Courtroom wrote then.
However the courtroom didn't dismiss the case outright and dominated as an alternative that there was enough proof to retry Chandler. It held that she "had motive and alternative and engaged in suspicious conduct after the murders."
It discovered she "exhibited obsession" with Sisco and Harkness, "'growing' throughout the time main as much as the murders, as there was proof it escalated from harassing, following, and phone calls to uninvited entry into Mike's dwelling." "As to alternative," the courtroom noticed, her "whereabouts have been unconfirmed" on the time of the murders. And "her inconsistent statements additionally represent suspicious post-murder conduct demonstrating consciousness of guilt," the courtroom discovered.
In 2021, a state disciplinary board concluded that Spradling had taken a "win-at-all-costs" strategy to Chandler's and one different case. It beneficial that she be disbarred and that her regulation license be completely suspended. Spradling's attraction of that call led to in the present day's disbarment by the Kansas Supreme Courtroom.
After Chandler's conviction was overturned, she was transferred from a state jail to the Shawnee County jail, the place she has remained since 2018 awaiting her new trial.
Within the years since, she has tried unsuccessfully to get the costs in opposition to her tossed or the trial moved to a distinct county.
One movement to dismiss filed by Chandler sought to spotlight various suspects, together with a neighbor who allegedly used a verify stolen from Harkness' dwelling. That movement was denied.
In one other unsuccessful movement to dismiss, on the grounds of "misuse of the media," Chandler accused investigators of plotting to make use of "48 Hours" and protection from different media retailers "to realize a tactical benefit for prosecution."
Within the movement, she cited an inside 2003 detective's memo, "floating the thought of utilizing the media to develop leads within the crime," in addition to a 2009 request by investigators to have a DNA check expedited within the hopes that it could possibly be included in a "48 Hours" episode.
After the primary "48 Hours" present aired, detectives cited it in an effort to get one in every of Chandler's kinfolk to cooperate, a transcript of the interrogation reveals. After her conviction was overturned, Chandler tried unsuccessfully a number of instances to subpoena a "48 Hours" producer and a correspondent, earlier than ultimately withdrawing her request to take action.
The movement additionally cited NBC and Discovery: ID protection of her case, in addition to intensive native newspaper protection.
A submitting by attorneys searching for a change of venue for Chandler's trial sought to spotlight the impression of media protection in Shawnee County, the place her upcoming trial will happen.
A analysis agency employed by her attorneys carried out a survey in Shawnee and close by Johnson County. Of 302 individuals in Shawnee surveyed, 200 acknowledged the case, and 99 stated they believed Chandler to be responsible. In Johnson County, simply 25 out of 302 individuals surveyed acknowledged the case, with 5 individuals believing Chandler was responsible. Their request to maneuver the trial location was denied.
Chandler, who maintains her innocence, is being held in jail on $1,000,000 bond. She has requested repeatedly for a discount in that quantity however these requests have been denied. Her jury trial is scheduled to start on Aug. 1.