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A Streator man charged with murder will not stand trial July 14. Joshua Casey has a new lawyer who needs more time to prepare.
Casey, 39, appeared Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court for a pre-trial motions hearing. He would face up to 60 years if convicted of killing Jessica Balma, who was found dead March 4. The cause of death was ruled manual strangulation.
Jury selection was scheduled to begin mid-month. Thursday, however, Chicago attorney Matthew Chivari entered his appearance on Casey’s behalf. The public defender’s office was allowed to withdraw.
Chivari’s late entry would have left him just 11 days to prepare for a jury, so Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. agreed to an indefinite continuance.
Casey will next appear for a status hearing on Aug. 29. New trial dates could be set then.
Even without Chivari’s appearance, Casey was less-than-likely to stand trial July 14. Murder trials are by nature complex and few proceed on the first trial setting.