PORT ANGELES — The trial of Josiah Hill, a former Olympic Medical Center emergency room physician charged with multiple counts of indecent liberties and one count of second-degree rape, remains on track for June 24.
Appearing via Zoom in a suit and tie for a status hearing in Clallam County Superior Court on Friday, Hill said nothing during the hearing at which his attorney, Jared Ausserer, requested setting a briefing schedule.
Ausserer, who also appeared via Zoom, said a 3½-month trial in which he was involved and that had recently ended had created a backlog of work.
Setting a schedule for filing briefs would assist in keeping Hill’s case on track for its June 24 trial date, he said.
Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michele Devlin agreed to working with Ausserer to set deadlines.
“Unless there is another allegation or there’s been other evidence or someone has come forward, then discovery is mainly complete,” Devlin said. “We would really want to get the trial done in June, so I have no objection.”
Superior Court Judge Simon Barnhart set Hill’s next status hearing for May 24.
Ausserer was an attorney for Matthew Collins, one of three police officers cleared in January of all criminal charges related to the death of Manuel Ellis, who died in Tacoma Police Department custody in 2020.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
