Bond is reduced in Whitlow case; status hearing up next on Dec. 3

    Court hearings for Bill Whitlow continue to be delayed, but his next appearance in the child pornography case will be held Dec. 3 in Perkins County.
    On Nov. 3, District Judge Richard Birch also approved Whitlow’s bond be reduced from $100,000 to $50,000, and that he be refunded $4,500 from the bond he had paid earlier.
    Whitlow bonded out the day he was arrested by the State Patrol March 16, when he was charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, Class IIA felonies. He pled not guilty to the charges in Chase County District Court in May.
    Chase County Attorney Arlan Wine said hearings in Whitlow’s case are currently being held in Grant due to the retirement of Judge David Urbom the end of August.
    Judge Birch from North Platte had been assigned Whitlow’s case after Urbom recused himself due to a conflict of interest. Whitlow previously served as a Chase County Sheriff’s Deputy.
    Wine said the judge asked that the case be heard in Grant for his convenience and to speed cases along by eliminating travel time. Other Chase County District Court cases are also being held in Grant during the interim.
    A status hearing for Whitlow is now set for Dec. 3 after an original Aug. 13 date. That was moved to Sept. 17 at the request of the defendant and moved again from an Oct. 22 date.
    On Oct. 20, Judge Birch granted the defendant’s motion for continuance, setting the status hearing for Dec. 3 at 11:30 a.m.
    Wine said he anticipates that a trial, if there is one, will be under a newly-appointed judge in Chase County.  Unless the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest, the trial will probably be held next year, Wine added.
    Recommendations to replace District Judge Urbom for the 11th District, which includes Chase County, have been forwarded to Gov. Pete Ricketts for appointment.