Murder defendant booted from courtroom after outburst
A murder defendant was removed from court yesterday after repeated outburst on the witness stand during his trial for a 2012 home-invasion murder and shooting in Strawberry Mansion
ALI MARSH is the kind of first-degree murder defendant that you're not likely to forget.
Shortly after taking the witness stand in his own defense yesterday, Marsh somewhat humbly said he had a speech impediment, a condition he's had all his life.
He did stutter some in proclaiming his innocence while being questioned by defense lawyer Coley Reynolds about the March 5, 2012, home-invasion murder of a Strawberry Mansion man and the critical wounding of the man's wife.
But during cross-examination by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Selber, Marsh's speech impediment appeared to clear up as he repeatedly accused Selber and Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Minehart of trying to "railroad" him.
"Y'all been trying to trip me up. . . . That's not fair. I'm scared for my life," Marsh, 38, protested. "Why y'all trying to railroad me?" he asked repeatedly, seated a few feet from the jury.
The more Minehart ordered Marsh to answer the prosecutor's questions, the faster he protested.
"Judge, you haven't been fair to me from the beginning," Marsh said, finally leading Minehart to order that Marsh be removed from the courtroom.
Before leaving, he looked at the family and friends of his alleged victims and repeatedly insisted, "You know I didn't do it."
The defendant is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and related counts for the savage 3:30 a.m. attack at the Cecil B. Moore Avenue home of a family that had no connection to crime or to Marsh - a self-described drug dealer, gambler and federal income-tax scammer.
John Paul Jr., 35, was fatally shot; his wife, Sherrell, 39, survived being shot more than a dozen times, while the couple's two sons, ages 13 and 11, were not physically hurt.
Prosecutors contend that during the home-invasion, Marsh accidentally shot himself in the foot or was shot in the foot by his alleged accomplice, Charles Davis, 37, and bled on the front steps of the victims' home.
While testifying, Marsh explained the presence of his blood by saying he was in the area waiting to buy drugs from a dealer when a robber approached as he was urinating on a wall and shot him.
Marsh said that after being shot he started to run, was hit in the back of the head with the butt of the gun, fell down and crawled to a waiting car driven by Davis.
When Selber repeatedly asked if he had run up the front steps, Marsh either said he didn't know or accused her of trying to railroad him. He insisted he had nothing to do with the home-invasion.
Davis will be tried separately. The trial resumes Monday.