DIONNE BAUGH LOSES DOUBLE JEOPARDY APPEAL

Defendant in Lance Herndon Murder to be Re-Tried in September

Atlanta-The Office of Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announces its intention to move forward with the trial in the case of 36-year-old Dionne Baugh of Atlanta. Baugh is charged with murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, theft by taking and credit card fraud in the August 1996 murder of millionaire Atlanta businessman Lance Herndon.

Baugh was tried and convicted of the charges by a Fulton County jury in March 2000, that conviction was reversed last August on appeal. She was re-tried in October 2003. The trial ended with a hung jury.

Baugh’s attorneys had asked Judge Jerry Baxter to recuse himself, and had argued a new trial would constitute double jeopardy. Judge Baxter denied both motions calling the double jeopardy argument “frivolous, dilatory and brought for the purpose of delaying retrial of this case specially set for September 27, 2004 before the Honorable Issac Jenrette.”

Senior Assistant District Attorneys Clint Rucker and Anna Green will be co-prosecutors of the case, once again, scheduled now to begin on September 27, 2004.

CONTACT: Lyn Vaughn, 404-224-0560 (office); 404-533-1381 (pager)