County Prepares For Upcoming Homicide Trial

It has been nearly a decade since the last homicide trial in Jefferson County. That was in 2011, when Susan DeJong was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her husband, Thomas DeJong, plus an additional 50 years for the use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. DeJong remains incarcerated at the Nebraska Correction Center for Women.There was a homicide at Crystal Springs Park in Fairbury July 1, 2019, but the accused accepted a plea agreement and no trial was ever held.The County must once again prepare for a trial and all that entails.Jake J. Gonzalez, 18, of Lincoln, is accused of the homicide of a two-year-old child in Fairbury. He is charged with child abuse resulting in death, a Class 1B felony, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Gonzalez is also charged with terroristic threats, a Class 3A felony, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison, 18 months post-release supervision and a $10,000 fine.The trial is set to begin on October 18, 2021, and is scheduled for two weeks. Vicky Johnson will be the presiding judge. The defendant has indicated he is unwilling to waive his right to a speedy trial. The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees a criminal defendant the right to a speedy trial by an “impartial jury.” This means that a criminal defendant must be brought to trial for his or her alleged crimes within a reasonably short time after arrest.Jefferson County Sheriff Nick Georgi spoke to County Commissioners on Tuesday, September 21, to provide an update. The jury will be selected from a pool of 100 people. Although the County has considered doing jury selection at the County Fairgrounds due to the size of the jury pool, Sheriff Georgi said that may not be necessary as the courtroom in the County Courthouse has 150 seats available.Commissioners asked about security.The Sheriff said, “We'll have extra security. And it'll be busy. There'll be a lot of people here, I'm sure.”The Jefferson County Courthouse has only one courtroom. County Court, presiding by Judge Linda Bauer, will still be going on during the trial. Therefore, the county has arranged for Judge Bauer to use the Commissioners meeting room as a courtroom for the duration of the trial. The meeting room was originally a courtroom before a remodel a few years ago and was also used as a courtroom last year when the courtroom ceiling collapsed, putting it out of commission for several months.In a separate case, Gonzalez was arrested May 18, 2020, for allegedly shooting a Fairbury man, Lance Powers, who reportedly suffered five gunshot wounds. Powers was hospitalized, treated and eventually released. Gonzalez was free on a $250,000 (10 percent) bond when he was arrested for the homicide. The trial for the shooting case is set for the same dates as the homicide trial.The defendant was 17 years old at the time of the shooting but has been charged as an adult. Gonzalez was 18 years old when he was arrested on Friday night, February 26, 2021, for the alleged homicide.While Gonzalez is being defended by Kelly S. Breen of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy in the homicide case, he is represented by Benjamin Murray in the shooting case. Both cases are being prosecuted by Special Deputy Jefferson County Attorney William P. Tangeman with the Nebraska Office of the Attorney General.

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