Jeremiah Burris
A Bartholomew County man accused in court records as being a serious violent felon has either rejected or been rejected by every public defender available to him.
As a result, Jeremiah Jayson Burris, 41, 11617 N. County Road 400W, says he will hire his own lawyer, despite the fact that he claimed he couldn’t afford to do that less than a year ago.
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 violent confrontation at his home on May 27, 2022.
In that matter, Burris is charged with aggravated battery as a Level 3 felony; criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon as a Level 3 felony; criminal confinement as a Level 3 felony; unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon as a Level 4 felony; domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon as a Level 5 felony, and strangulation as a Level 6 felony.
While investigating the case, investigators learned Burris had an outstanding warrant for violating conditions of his pre-trial release on an original charge of failure to register as a sex offender. Burris has been required to register since he was sentenced to six years in the summer of 2004 after being convicted of two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor. Court records indicate Burris has been picked up at least twice for failing to register.
When a Columbus Police Department SWAT Team arrived at Burris’ home on June 3, 2022 with a search and arrest warrant, the suspect barricaded himself inside his residence. The standoff was eventually resolved when Burris was taken into custody on what a police spokesman described as ‘no bond’ warrants.
Illegal drugs and paraphernalia was found in his home immediately following the standoff, so another criminal case was filed. It charges Burris with possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a syringe, and maintaining a common nuisance, all Level 6 felonies. In addition, he’s also facing one count of possession of paraphernalia as a Class C misdemeanor.
Three weeks after his arrest, attorney Jane Ann Noblitt was appointed to be Burris’ public defender after he claimed indigent status. However, Noblitt asked Bartholomew Superior Court 1 Judge James Worton to withdraw from the case on Oct. 19. While she was replaced by Aaron Edwards, it was only one day later that Edwards also asked Worton for permission to withdraw from representing Burris.
A third public defender, Benjamin Loheide, was appointed on Oct. 20. But on Nov. 5, Burris asked that Loheide be dismissed as well. During a court hearing in March, the defendant said he plans to call his stepson to the stand, adding that Loheide had once represented his stepson. For that reason, Burris argued there was a conflict of interest that should disqualify the third court-appointed attorney from handling his defense.
In response,Worton asked Loheide to talk with the stepson, inquire about his testimony and report back to the court.
During a hearing on Monday, Worton told Burris it appears the court had run out of potential public defenders to represent him.
Moments later, Burris angrily accused Loheide of approaching him in a courthouse hallway and using a vulgarity to insult him. In response, Loheide calmly told Worton he had said no such thing.
That prompted the judge to tell Burris his allegation against Loheide simply wasn’t believable. Nevertheless, the defendant continued with more angry remarks. He even stood up and began walking away from the defense table moments before the judge ended the hearing.
On Tuesday, court officials said Burris has announced his intentions to hire his own attorney.
Worton scheduled an entirely new slate of court dates that will begin with an attorney status hearing at 8:45 a.m. on June 26. Another change of plea hearing is now scheduled for 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 14, a final pre-trial hearing at 11 a.m. on Aug. 28 and a tentative trial to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 12.
