Jeremiah Burris
After more than two years of court delays, it appears a suspect in a battery case is ready to accept a plea bargain.
The case of Jeremiah Jayson Burris, 43, has been drawn out in Bartholomew Superior Court 1 largely because of multiple changes in defense attorneys.
Burris, who lived west of Taylorsville on County Road 400W, has either rejected or been rejected by every public defender available to Judge James Worton. He’s now being represented by his third privately-hired attorney, Rebecca Gray of Indianapolis.
As Worton began Monday’s hearing, he said he had been made aware of a brief meeting where it appeared a change of plea was in the works.
At first, Gray said her client was simply interested in considering a deal. But later in the hearing, she told the judge that Burris was ready to immediately sign off on the agreement.
But since the paperwork had not yet been prepared, Worton chose instead to schedule a change of plea hearing.
While all parties expressed an interest in scheduling the hearing as soon as possible, two large conflicts were brought up. Some of the attorneys involved in the case have already made other commitments during the schools’ fall break that begins Oct. 14. The following week, the murder trial of Anthony Carter is scheduled to begin in Worton’s courtroom and continue for a week-and-a-half.
So the change of plea hearing for Burris is now scheduled for 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 4.
There are currently two open cases against Burris, who has a criminal history going back more than 20 years, The most serious stems from a domestic battery with substantial bodily injury involving a firearm that took place on May 27, 2022.
In that case, Burris is charged with aggravated battery, two counts of criminal confinement, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon and strangulation.
It was while law enforcement was investigating that case that they learned Burris was also wanted for violating a pre-trial release that involves his failure to register as a sex offender.
Although Burris barricaded himself inside his residence when officers attempted to arrest him, he eventually was taken into custody and a residential search turned up narcotics and paraphernalia. A second case was filed on charges of possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a syringe, possession of paraphernalia and maintaining a common nuisance.
A court hearing on May 9, 2023 may help to illustrate why Burris has difficulty keeping attorneys.
After trying to have public defender Benjamin Loheide fired from the case, Burris began to angrily accuse Loheide of approaching him in a courthouse hallway and using a vulgarity to insult him. After Loheide replied he had said no such thing, the judge told Burris his allegation wasn’t believable. Nevertheless, the defendant continued expressing his anger to the point where he stood up and began walking away from the defense table before the judge ended the hearing.
Burris remains in the Bartholomew County Jail in lieu of a $285,000 surety bond or 10% cash.
