Coe's Commitment Hearing; Coe's First Judge

Judge Kathleen O'Connor (Spokane County Superior Court) has agreed to delay Kevin Coe's commitment hearing to Dec. 18, to provide the defense more time to review the thousands of pages of documents in the case. Judge postpones Kevin Coe commitment hearing, Seattle P-I, Oct. 11, 2006.

UW note: One of the state's attorneys in the commitment proceeding is Todd Bowers, a Trial Ad instructor.

Also in Spokane this week, retired Judge George Shields died from complications of surgery at age 78. He was a judge for 24 years, first on the Spokane County Superior Court (1969-88) and then the Washington State Court of Appeals (Div. 3)(1988-93).

One of his most visible cases as a superior court judge was Coe's first trial for several of the rapes attributed to the "South Hill Rapist." After Coe's conviction, his mother, Ruth Coe, attempted to hire a hit man to kill Judge Shields and the prosecutor. Someone she asked for help in finding a hit man contacted the police. The man she negotiated with was actually an undercover police officer and her conversation was recorded, so she was convicted herself. Retired Spokane County Judge George Shields dies, Seattle P-I, Oct. 11, 2006.

Filed in: Coe, civil-commitment, O'Connor, Spokane, Bowers, UW, judges, Shields, obituaries