State files response in case alleging perjured testimony

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office has filed its response in a case making allegations of misconduct and fabricated testimony. 

As ABC57 reported, Jermiane Munn, who’s serving a 130-year sentence for the murder of Jarina Bailey, is requesting a special prosecutor as he tries to get his conviction overturned. 

Munn’s attorneys claim there was a coordinated effort by prosecutors and the now-disbanded County Metro Homicide Unit to feed information to jailhouse witnesses, fabricating testimony. Similar allegations have been made in at least two other felony murder cases. Munn is asking for the special prosecutor because his attorneys plan to call St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter as a witness.  

The state’s response, fighting the request for a special prosecutor, points to previous cases saying, “a defendant cannot disqualify a prosecuting attorney [merely] by naming him as a witness” and writing, so far, there’s been no evidence presented to support accusations of intentionally perjured testimony. 

Munn's attorneys claim there are five witnesses to back up these claims but have not named them to protect their identity. 

There's an evidentiary hearing that’s been rescheduled for March 22nd.