Testimony was given in a hearing in Starke Circuit Court to suppress evidence in the case of James Campbell.
It is alleged that Campbell set fire to his business, C&C Salvage, also known as Starke County Recycling, at the intersection of Toto Road and U.S. 35 on March 20. Campbell is charged with a Class A felony count of arson.
Campbell’s defense attorneys argued that evidence taken in a search warrant on January 17, 2014 and subsequently on March 21 and on March 28 is tainted. Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mary Ryan called two witnesses to the stand to explain the nature of the events that led to the search warrants and the process in which evidence was collected. The defense attorneys also cross-examined those witnesses.
Judge Kim Hall took the information revealed in the court hearing under advisement. He granted time to the state and to the defense to gather case law and briefs to support their arguments. Those will be presented in a hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Campbell’s trial has been reset for March 16.
