In unusual move, Kansan accused of threatening U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner to represent himself

A man accused of threatening to kill U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner has been allowed to represent himself in a dramatic move that came over the concerns of the judge and prosecution.

Chase Neill is charged with one felony count of threatening a federal official. He is alleged to have left a series of voicemails at LaTurner's Topeka office, including one where he said "this is a threat to your life and all the members of Congress."

This led to the unusual situation Wednesday afternoon where Neill questioned LaTurner about the alleged threats, with the congressman called as a witness by prosecutors.

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The exchange, while lengthy and lasting upward of an hour, was civil.

Neill has repeatedly referenced religion, has claimed to have a special relationship with God and that he is "the Messiah" and has said he wants to "direct a defense on religious grounds."

That carried over into Wednesday's cross-examination of LaTurner where Neill asked the lawmaker about his duties in Washington, as well as specific references to Christianity. He was also seen carrying a Bible to the podium where he questioned witnesses.

At one point, Neill asked LaTurner if the congressman thought it was unreasonable that Neill referred to himself as the "son of God" in the voicemail.

"I thought the entire voicemail was unreasonable, especially the death threats part," LaTurner responded.

LaTurner said in his testimony that he found the message, left at his Topeka office on June 6, to be "troubling" and that he immediately cancelled a planned flight to Washington, D.C., to be with his family while staff reported the voicemail to U.S. Capitol Police and took steps to increase security at his residence and office.

Later, when LaTurner left for Washington, he said his wife and their four children went to stay with their mother-in-law.

In the wake of the message, office staff began locking the office doors more regularly and installed a security camera. Topeka police increased patrols in LaTurner's neighborhood

"I immediately started thinking about what we should and how we should handle it and report it," LaTurner said of his reaction to the voicemail. "I began thinking about my wife and kids and thinking about the conversation I would need to have with my wife, because she would be anxious and troubled by it."

Judge Holly Teeter wrote last year that Neill has "a mental disease and that the mental disease renders him unable to assist properly in his defense" but a psychological evaluation found him competent to stand trial, a finding Teeter affirmed in a December ruling.

Court records indicate that Neill suffered a serious head injury several years prior.

Chase Neill to represent himself in threat case

Neill stated at the end of the first day of trial Tuesday that he wished to represent himself. He initially filed a motion to do so Friday but reversed course before jury selection Tuesday morning.

However, Wednesday morning he indicated that he was not satisfied with the defenses offered by his federal public defenders and wanted to offer other evidence than what has been presented in the case to date.

There is no dispute that Neill left the voicemails at issue, but his attorneys have argued that the government will not be able to show that the messages constituted a true threat to LaTurner.

"I would be able to direct the strategy more towards what I feel is the essence of the matter," Neill said, saying that it was "in the interest not just of my case but my reputation."

The move will create a new dynamic in the trial, with Neill indicating he is likely to move in a different direction than the course charted by his defense attorneys. That could include acknowledging that he left the voicemails in question but asserting that he did so in self-defense or was coerced.

Defendants are generally allowed to represent themselves under the Sixth Amendment but that right is somewhat more limited once a trial actually begins.

Teeter repeatedly cautioned Neill that she felt the move was "unwise" and noted he would be compelled to follow the same rules in her courtroom as any other attorney.

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She noted that Neill's current legal representation, federal public defenders Melody Brannon and Kirk Redmond, were "among the very best" and that most individuals accused of a crime would "relish" their acumen.

The lead prosecutor in the case, assistant U.S. attorney Skip Jacobs, agreed, urging Teeter to reject the request, saying it "puts (Neill) at an even greater disadvantage."

Nonetheless, Teeter allowed Neill to proceed as his own attorney. While he does not have any formal legal training, the judge found him to be able to follow the courtroom proceedings and said he had been polite in addressing the court since the trial began, though he has had multiple outbursts during proceedings.

"He seems adamant that he wants to represent himself and is clear he wants to take the helm of his own defense ... The court will not stand in his way," Teeter said in reading her ruling from the bench.

A timeframe for the trial is unclear. Originally scheduled to last only two-and-a-half days, Neill's move to represent himself could delay proceedings.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Chase Neill to question Jake LaTurner in threat trial, defend himself