Former Gary cop’s gun case goes to trial; medical excuse rejected
By Teresa Auch Schultz tauch@post-trib.com February 18, 2013 10:32AM
Finley
Updated: February 18, 2013 9:24PM
A former Gary police officer will go on trial next week on gun and drug charges after a federal judge found his medical problems were not enough to delay the case.
David Finley Jr., who resigned from the Gary Police Department shortly after he was charged last year in the U.S. District Court in Hammond, had claimed that he had to go to the hospital earlier this month and that “doctors weren’t sure” if he had suffered a stroke.
Finley’s attorney, John Cantrell, also said in the motion requesting a delay that Finley, 31, of Merrillville, had been in a car accident several years ago that left his brain severely injured.
Federal attorneys fought the move to continue the trial, arguing that the case is fairly simple and that Finley had not been diagnosed as suffering a stroke.
U.S. District Judge Philip Simon not only ruled against Finley’s request on Friday but actually moved the trial up a day. It will now start Monday, instead of Tuesday as originally scheduled.
Finley is accused of lying in the purchase of a gun and then selling that gun to a felon on Aug. 14. He is also charged with distributing marijuana that same day.
