Judge rejects Joliet murder defendant’s attempt to delay trial

A judge rejected an attempt by a man charged with a Joliet Township murder to delay his trial and found he was trying to “thwart the administration of justice” by asking for a continuance.

The trial for Elijah Watson, 28, of Joliet, was set to begin Monday but he made yet another request for a continuance as he wanted to hire new attorneys.

However, Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius denied that request. Cornelius heard recordings of Watson’s jail calls that showed he attempted to hire an attorney — just days before his trial — simply to get a continuance and then fire him without paying his fee.

That attorney was Robert Lewin, who requested $5,000.

“Please. I’m not giving that [expletive] $5,000,” Watson told a woman in one of his jail calls.

Cornelius ruled on Monday that Watson attempted to get a continuance to delay the trial and “thwart the administration of justice.”

As a result, Watson’s trial is set to begin Tuesday morning. Watson has chosen at this point to have Cornelius decide whether he is guilty of the Oct. 28, 2018 first-degree murder of Nathan Ballard, 20.

Prosecutors said Watson and his alleged accomplice, Anthony Francimore, 25, of Joliet, concocted a plan to rob Ballard by pretending to sell him drugs.

When Ballard and his brother tried to stop Francimore from running off with his money, Watson fired multiple gunshots at the brothers, prosecutors said. Ballard was mortally wounded when one of those shots struck him in the chest.

Last year, a jury found Francimore guilty of the first-degree murder and armed robbery of Ballard. Francimore was set for sentencing last Friday but his case was continued to March 8.

During Monday’s court hearing, Cornelius heard a woman having a phone conversation with Lewin that was captured in her recorded phone call with Watson. The jail usually records defendants’ phone calls.

In that recording, Lewin balked at the woman’s request for him to file his appearance in Watson’s case just days before trial. Lewin told her he thought it was the “funniest phone call I’ve ever gotten,” and he needed $5,000 for his services. Watson later told the woman he wasn’t going to pay Lewin that money simply to get a continuance.

Lewin later told the woman he was not going to represent Watson. He said he heard a recording of a phone call provided by prosecutors that revealed Watson’s plan to hire him and then fire him for another attorney.

Watson scoffed at Lewin’s rejection, saying he had the right to get any legal representation he wanted.