Yohn seeks to fire public defender Citro

QUINCY (WGEM) - The Springfield man accused of carjacking and sexually assaulting a 70-year-old Adams County woman is seeking to fire his public defender.

During a hearing Tuesday at the Adams County Courthouse, Judge Amy Lannerd revealed Bradley Yohn had sent three letters on his own behalf seeking to remove public defender John Citro from the case. Lannerd also said she was striking the letters from the record because they were not formal pleadings. However, she said Yohn does have the right to raise ineffective counsel issues.

“Are you asking to hire private counsel,” she asked Yohn, who said he is not, based on the fact he is indigent.

Yohn told Lannerd that he wanted an attorney who would visit him at the Adams County Jail to discuss his case “at least once in five months.”

Yohn said his only communication with Citro had been via video links for a few minutes before hearings to discuss what would be happening in court. Yohn also said Citro had told him, “they have one fingerprint on a car.”

At that point, Lannerd cut Yohn off and reminded him of his right to remain silent. She suggested a hearing on the ineffective counsel claims for 1:30 p.m. April 29 before Judge Michael Atterberry, who is scheduled to preside over Yohn’s trial, for now set for the May jury docket. A pretrial hearing in the case already was set for that morning.

Yohn again spoke out, saying, “Anything to buy time, huh your honor?”

Lannerd pointed out the hearing will not, for now, delay the case since a hearing already was set that day.

First Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones did not object to the hearing, saying the issues need to be addressed.

Lannerd said that while the letters from Yohn had been stricken from the record, he would be able to bring the matter officially into the court record at the hearing.

“He can make the request by words or complaint that day,” she said.

Citro was appointed by the court to represent Yohn, who faces two counts of home invasion, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking, one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault, all Class X felonies, and residential burglary, a Class 1 felony. Those charges are in connection with a Nov. 9 incident that allegedly began along the North Bottom Road.

He also faces felony charges in two other cases. He was charged with vehicular hijacking stemming from an Oct. 31 incident.

He faces charges of residential burglary, a Class 1 felony; two counts of theft or unauthorized control of property over $500 but under $10,000, Class 3 felonies; and criminal sexual abuse, a Class 4 felony. Those charges stem from an Oct. 14 incident.

Yohn is being held on a $15 million bond, which is believed to be the largest bond amount ever set in Adams County.

Before he was taken from the courtroom, Yohn said he wanted to speak to a detective because he claimed he had been choked on camera in the jail.

“I need to speak to a detective, your honor, please and thank you,” he yelled out as deputies took him from the room.

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