California Murder Trial Declared Mistrial After Defense Attorney Arrested

A murder trial in California has been declared a mistrial after the defendant’s attorney, Christopher Loethen, was arrested at the Stanislaus County courthouse on suspicion of being under the influence and later failed to appear for court proceedings. The trial of Kelley Marie Ball, accused of a fatal 2020 DUI hit-and-run that killed a 12-year-old girl, was in its seventh day when the mistrial was declared.

Loethen was arrested on September 16 and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of public intoxication, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance. He was released from jail later that evening.

When Ball's trial resumed the following day, Loethen was absent. The court made significant efforts to contact him via phone and email but received no response. Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Valli Israels addressed Loethen's earlier behavior in court, noting an "aggressiveness" that seemed to be a shift in his demeanor.

With Loethen unavailable, Judge Israels removed him as Ball's attorney and appointed Martin Baker to take over the case. Baker requested additional time to prepare, and despite prosecution objections, the judge granted the request. The jury was scheduled to return on Tuesday.

The mistrial was declared without prejudice, meaning prosecutors have the option to retry Ball. She faces charges including murder, driving under the influence of a drug causing injury, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and vandalism. Court documents indicate Ball has prior DUI convictions dating from 1997 to 2007.

Ball remains in jail on $2.195 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on September 24. A representative from Loethen's law office stated they had not spoken with him and had no information regarding his arrest.