State v. Higginbotham

¶ 1. Defendant appeals from the denial of her private counsel’s sealed ex parte motion requesting public funding for expert witnesses and investigative services necessary to her defense of a charge of involuntary manslaughter. The court denied the motion on the ground that defendant is not a needy person under 13 V.S.A. § 5231(2). We affirm.

¶ 2. Defendant is charged with the death of her adopted minor daughter, which occurred in November 1998. The case for the State will purportedly be built on the testimony of several expert witnesses in various medical and forensic specialties. Defendant’s…