Francis Walsh represented himself during his preliminary hearing Monday afternoon.
A Lyndon Station man represented himself in court Monday afternoon. Under tighter security, the spectators were able to stay in the courtroom during the preliminary hearing for 70-year old Francis Walsh. Walsh was in court without an attorney. He is accused of filing a Warranty Deed through the Juneau County Register of Deeds knowing the County owned the land because of unpaid back taxes. He is charged with Criminal Slander of Title. Following Detective Ben Goehring’s testimony, Judge Paul Curran found probable cause a felony had been committed and Walsh had committed it and entered a ‘not guilty’ plea on his behalf. Walsh told Judge Curran, “I don’t recognize the court’s jurisdiction. And I also want to see the evidence against me.” Judge Curran told Walsh he could file any motions for discovery of evidence and recommended he hire an attorney. Judge Curran also set the dates for a 3-day trial for December 3,4,5th, 2013. During Walsh’s initial court appearance earlier this month, Judge John Roemer had cleared the courtroom because some of the supporters had not shown respect or maintained decorum in the courtroom.