Malcolm Uriah Harris, charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with a Dec. 6 shooting death of a Sikeston, Mo., man, will be represented by the Cape Girardeau County Public Defender's office when his case goes to trial.
Harris, 21, who had attempted to hire a private attorney rather than apply for a public defender, on Monday told Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp via videoconference from the Cape Girardeau County Jail that he had applied for legal services from the public defender's office.
Harris has been held in the county jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond since his arrest for the shooting death of 32-year-old Nicholas Gilbert at The Spot, a now-closed nightclub on South Sprigg Street. Witnesses told police they saw Harris and Gilbert arguing at the nightclub before seeing Harris pull a gun from his waistband and pull the trigger. Harris was arrested the same day Gilbert was found dead by police shortly after midnight. He faces the possibility of serving a life sentence in prison.
Kamp set a date for a preliminary examination of Harris' case for May 2.
Also on Monday, Harris was before Circuit Judge William Syler for violating terms of his probation that were in effect when Harris was charged with the shooting death of Gilbert.
According to Assistant Prosecutor Jack Koester, Harris had been sentenced to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for second-degree robbery in August 2011. The court retained jurisdiction over Harris, and after he had served 120 days of shock incarceration, Syler reduced his sentence to five years probation.
Christopher Heeb, an attorney with the Cape Girardeau County Public Defender's Office, entered an appearance on Harris' behalf at the hearing. Heeb said counsel officially will be made available to Harris soon, and a status update for the matter of Harris' probation violation was set for May 6.
klewis@semissourian.com
388-3635
Pertinent addresses:
100 Court St., Jackson, Mo.
433 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.
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