Laywer says she doesn't want kids to hear 'gruesome things'
Mary Winkler appears in court Thursday. Attorneys described her condition as "pretty fragile."
SELMER, Tennessee (CNN) -- Mary Winkler, accused in the killing of her preacher husband, waived a public hearing Thursday so her three children don't have to hear "gruesome things" about their father's death, one of her attorneys said.
Winkler, 32, stood quietly next to defense attorney Steve Farese during a preliminary hearing as he told the judge Winkler wanted her case sent to a McNairy County, Tennessee, grand jury.
Winkler is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband, Matthew Winkler, the minister at Fourth Street Church of Christ in Selmer, 80 miles east of Memphis. (Watch a small Tennessee town try to answer the question of why -- 2:45)
The youngest of the Winklers' three children is one. Farese said Thursday that Winkler waived the hearing to spare her children a public airing of details of their father's death.
Grand juries consider criminal matters in secret before deciding whether or not to issue indictments. It is not uncommon, particularly in highly publicized cases, for prosecutors to take their evidence to a grand jury after an arrest.
If the grand jury decides to indict Winkler, the indictment would replace the criminal charges against her, and she would be arraigned again.
In McNairy County, the next grand jury will not be convened until June, McNairy County General Sessions Judge Bob Gray said.
Defense attorney Leslie Ballin said outside the courthouse that the defense is not asking for bond because "her condition is pretty fragile right now."
"We're concerned about it," he said. "It's in her interest to not have bond right now."
In the courtroom, Winkler, wearing an orange jail uniform and shackles, spoke only when Gray asked her if she understood that she was waiving her right to a hearing.
"Yes, sir," Winkler said.
Before leaving the courtroom, Winkler signed a document waiving that right.
After the hearing, Farese told reporters Winkler was "feeling better mentally, but she's still having trouble focusing on important issues."
He said she was having trouble "staying on point" when defense lawyers tried to speak to her about crucial issues.
The defense team has requested a psychological examination of Winkler and could argue she suffered from a form of post-partum depression, Ballin told CNN. "That's one of the reasons that we're asking for the psychological examination."
"In a homicide case, a person's mental state is at issue," Ballin said. "Depending on what that evaluation shows it will dictate defense strategy."
The defense lawyers said they are concerned Winkler might try to harm herself, but they are satisfied that the McNairy County Sheriff's Department is taking proper precautions to prevent that.
Story Tools |
CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. | CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. |
