Court denies most all defense suppression requests in Jasckson murder case; jury selection set for March 21
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Clinton County President Judge Craig P. Miller has denied all substantial pre-trial motions filed by counsel for Jamie Lynn Jackson in her pending capital murder case. Jackson is charged with the November 2020 murder of her 9 year-old nephew, Anson Stover.
In his recent order, Judge Miller set jury selection to begin March 21 of next year. The court calendar has set aside March 21 through April 8 for jury selection and trial.
In her pretrial motion, filed in July, Jackson’s counsel argued Lock Haven police had violated her constitutional rights on several occasions during the investigation and asked the Court to suppress and exclude all evidence that was obtained by police from her apartment at 657 E. Bald Eagle Street in Lock Haven. Jackson argued that police should not have entered her apartment when alerted to the possible death of Anson Stover. Instead, the defense argued, police should have obtained a search warrant from a judge first.
She also argued that she was coerced to provide statements to police, and asked the Court to suppress any statements she made to police during the two interviews they conducted with her prior to her arrest.
A hearing was held on July 28 where District Attorney Dave Strouse presented testimony from several Lock Haven police officers, and played the audio and video-recorded interviews that had been conducted by Detective Richard Simpson with the defendant.
Ultimately, President Judge Miller found there was no coercion from Detective Simpson. He conducted a lengthy review of Jackson’s Miranda rights prior to asking her any questions and conducted the interview properly, according to the Judge.
Miller also concluded that police were within their community caretaking powers to enter Jackson’s residence after they received a report about a possible dead or dying child within. Miller called the police function in that moment one of attempting to render emergency aid – not an investigation or an attempt to conduct a search for evidence.
