Court grants defense counsel's motion to withdraw for Luis Alberto De Leon Jr., case recalled for contested hearing

Defense counsel Jay Norton and Patrick Valentine told the court they had filed a motion to withdraw for Luis Alberto De Leon Jr. based on contractual obligations. The defendant acknowledged awareness and raised no objection when asked on the record. The court granted the motion, provided a procedural briefing about avoiding limbo for the defendant and assigned appearance responsibilities so counsel can exchange discovery and prepare for the contested hearing.

"Your counsel has filed a motion to withdraw," the judge said during the hearing. "Do you have any objections to their motion to withdraw?" The defendant answered, "No." The court granted the withdrawal and directed Attorney Bump to receive any discovery information so he can represent the defendant at the contest set for Jan. 12.

Why this matters: a granted motion to withdraw can affect a defendant’s continuity of counsel and may require additional scheduling to ensure an attorney appointed or retained has full access to discovery and time to prepare. The court explicitly ordered that discovery and police reports be shared with incoming counsel before the contested setting.

Next steps: the case is recalled to Jan. 12 for a contested hearing; defense counsel must share discovery with the incoming attorney; the court instructed clerks and counsel to coordinate scheduling to avoid leaving the defendant without representation.