Alleged Teen Getaway Driver in Murder Gets New Lawyer: Court Watch

Also, a public defender for a homeless man accused of sexually assaulting an 83-year-old woman wants the arrest thrown out.

By Bridgette Outten
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January 26, 2013

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A jury found Herbert Van Stephens guilty of first degree murder Friday, Jan. 25, according to a spokeswoman from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. Patch File Photo

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A jury found Herbert Van Stephens guilty of first degree murder Friday, Jan. 25, according to a spokeswoman from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.

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A new lawyer has joined the case of a former Oak Lawn Community High School student charged with helping to kill the mother and father of a friend.

Chicago attorney Mohammad Ramadan entered his appearance but still has to get "up to speed" with the case against 18-year-old Mohammad Salahat, said Joel Brodsky, a lawyer already representing the teen.

Salahat and three other young men—John Granat, 18, of Palos Township, Christopher Wyma, 18, of Bridgeview, and Ehab Qasem, 21, of Hickory Hills—all face murder charges for allegedly beating and stabbing Granat's parents to death in their bedroom. The four were arrested and have been held without bond at the Cook County Jail since shortly after the killings.

Patch rounds up the Southland's major criminal and civil cases being heard in Cook County and Will County courts this week.

OAK FOREST - Lawyers Tussle Over Evidence in Case of Man Accused of Wife's Murder, Arson

A preliminary hearing for an Oak Forest man accused of strangling his wife and setting her body and their home on fire unexpectedly became a three-hour affair of stops and starts as opposing counsel wrangled over DNA evidence.

The case against Martin Rodriguez, 48, is still in bond court. Prosecutors say Rodriguez strangled his wife, slit his own throat and setting the fire.

He is scheduled to be back in court on Jan. 28.

ORLAND PARK - Defense Wants New Warrant to Search Kustok’s Cell Phone

Attorneys for Allan Kustok, who is accused of shooting and killing his wife, want prosecutors to further justify the need for searching his cell phone, after prosecutors said new technology would allow greater access to evidence on the phone.

ORLAND PARK - Defense: Throw Out Arrest of Drifter Accused in Sex Assault

A public defender for Dennis Dodson,36, the drifter accused of sexually assaulting a then-83-year-old woman in Orland Park, is filing a motion to quash the arrest based on the identification of Dodson in a photo array.

Dodson is scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 21.

ORLAND PARK - Defense Wants to Set Trial in Child Sex Assault, Sex Chatting Cases

An attorney for an Orland Park man charged with felony sex crimes involving underaged girls wants to move toward a trial date for his client.

However, more evidence in 36-year-old Kevin Skaritka's most recent case, where he was accused of attempting to exchange nude photos online with a 14-year-old girl who was actually an undercover cop last September, is outstanding. Skaritka was already facing unrelated sex assault charges and was set to begin a trial in September, but it has been postponed.

Skaritka is scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 7.

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