Claiborne suspect to undergo tests; Vollor appointed|[8/9/06]

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 9, 2006

PORT GIBSON – Murder suspect Carl Brandon of Claiborne County has won court approval to receive medical testing.

In another development, the judge who would normally hear the case, Lamar Pickard of Claiborne County Circuit Court, has recused himself. Judge Frank Vollor of Vicksburg has been appointed to preside.

Brandon, 52, who is awaiting trial for killing the Claiborne County Board of Supervisors’ attorney and wounding a county employee, asked to be taken to University Medical Center in Jackson for a neurological examination on Sept. 5.

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Beverly Pettigrew Kraft, a spokesman for the Mississippi Supreme Court, said this morning that the state and defense were expected to agree that Brandon could be tested.

The request was filed by an attorney representing Brandon, Frank C. Jones III of the Canton law firm Blackmon & Blackmon.

Brandon is accused of shooting attorney Allen Burrell, who was 54, on March 17 while Burrell was arriving for work at his Market Street office and of shooting and wounding road-department administrative secretary Loretha Porter in her office on Mississippi 18 shortly thereafter. Investigators have also said that, in between, Brandon fired shotgun blasts into the home of County Administrator James Miller, who was inside but was not injured.

At his arraignment, Brandon said actions by county leaders had made him a criminal and asked for a new investigation of his firing as county road manager in 1997.

District Attorney Alexander Martin responded to Brandon’s request for testing by asking that results of any tests that are administered be made available to Martin’s office.

&#8220In anticipation of an insanity defense or allegations of incompetency, the state requests an independent examination of the defendant by persons other than members of his defense team, namely a psychiatrist at the Mississippi State Hospital, to determine his mental competency and sanity,” a response filed by Martin’s office says.

Pickard recused himself on his own initiative, &#8220noting a potential appearance of a conflict” but without further explanation.

Vollor was appointed as special judge in the case by Chief Justice James W. Smith Jr. of the Mississippi Supreme Court.

The Claiborne County grand jury to which prosecutors had expected the case may have been ready to present convened Tuesday in Port Gibson. Claiborne County’s next grand jury is scheduled to convene in December, Claiborne Circuit Clerk Sammie L. Good said.

Brandon’s firing was based on an investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed a woman employee. Brandon appealed his firing through the court system unsuccessfully. He was working for the Vicksburg Warren School District at the time of the shooting and had attended a meeting of the Claiborne County governing board the night before.

Burrell has been posthumously honored by the Mississippi Bar Association with its top award for distinguished service. He practiced for 30 years in Port Gibson, mostly as a partner in the Drake & Burrell firm.

Burrell was also serving on the state bar’s board of commissioners and its committee on professional responsibility. He was also an officer, past officer or member of many other church, civic and educational organizations.