Judge rules expert witness can testify at Marni Yang hearing
A state’s witness can testify at the upcoming hearing of convicted murderer Marni Yang, a Lake County judge has ruled, pushing back against a ruling by Yang’s attorney who sought to exclude the expert.
Judge Christopher Stride said the expert could be called into the hearing for Yang, who is seeking to have his conviction overturned in the 2007 shooting death of the pregnant girlfriend of former Chicago Bear Shaun Gayle.
The hearing on Yang’s post-conviction motion is expected to take place in January.
Yang’s attorney, Jed Stone, plans to call an expert witness who is expected to testify that evidence shows Yang was not the person who shot Rhoni Reuter in her Deerfield apartment. Authorities say Yang, who had previously seen Gayle, killed Reuter because Yang saw her as a romantic rival.
Yang was sentenced to life in prison following her 2011 conviction, but filed court papers seeking to have her conviction overturned. This effort has reached the final phase, a full evidentiary hearing.
In response to Yang’s expert, Lake County prosecutors plan to call their own expert.
But Stone filed a motion to exclude the prosecution’s expert, arguing that the state’s expert failed to disclose any of his findings or offer an opinion on what his testimony would be. Stone said the alleged lack of disclosure was contrary to the judge’s order for transparency and openness in the case.
Prosecutors told the judge the expert failed to submit a written report. The state expert gave his opinion in an email that was shared with Yang’s defense, prosecutors said.
The judge refused to exclude the expert, but issued a series of directions which he said were intended to ensure both sides had all relevant information before the evidence was heard. The hearing is scheduled to begin Jan. 12, and the court has set aside three days to hear testimony.
The case was scheduled to have a hearing in July, but it was postponed after the defense’s lead expert changed the findings in his report shortly before the hearing date.
