DELPHI, Ind. — Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen’s attorneys were not in contempt of court because the leak of evidence was not willful or intentional, Special Judge Frances Gull ruled Wednesday.
Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland failed to prove that defense attorneys Brad Rozzi and Andrew Baldwin contemptuously released photos in the 2017 killings of Delphi teenagers Libby German and Abby Williams.
The photos were leaked by Baldwin’s trusted friend, Mitchell Westerman, who visited his office and saw the photos while left unattended in the law firm’s conference room, according to testimony at a March 18 hearing. Westerman took photos of the crime scene images and shared them with others, who published them in public venues.
While Gull found Baldwin and Rozzi not in contempt of court, she did find that they were sloppy, negligent and incompetent in the handing of the evidence.
Gull also said she will not find Baldwin and Rozzi in contempt for their Dec. 1, 2022, news release since the gag order was signed on Dec. 2, 2022.