A motion hearing provides judges with an opportunity to hear oral arguments, in addition to the written motion and memoranda submitted to the court.
A motion is a request asking a judge to issue a ruling or order on a legal matter. Usually, one side files a motion, along with notice of the motion to the attorney for the opposing party, the other side files a written response.
Motions are often made before trials to resolve procedural and preliminary issues, and may be made after trials to enforce or modify judgments.
Motions are made in court all the time for many purposes such as to continue a trial to a later date, to get a modification of an order, for temporary child support, for a judgment, for dismissal of the opposing party’s case, for a rehearing, for sanctions, and many other reasons.
The motion hearing for accused killer Adam Longoria has been continued due to a scheduling conflict, said Ron Keefover, chief information officer with the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration.
The hearing, during which District Judge Hannelore Kitts will rule on the motions filed by the defense and prosecution since Longoria was bound over for trial Nov. 18 was rescheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 22, in Barton County District Court. It had been set for Tuesday, March 15. Longoria will be transported from Wichita to Great Bend for the proceedings.
He is being held in the Sedgwick Count Detention Facility on a $1.5 million bond, being transferred from Barton County to be closer to his Wichita attorneys, Jeffrey Wicks and Tim Frieden at the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit.
Longoria, 36, is the Great Bend man charged with capital murder in the death of 14-year-old Alicia DeBolt, Great Bend, on the weekend of Aug. 21. He also faces charges of criminal sodomy and vehicle theft in connection to the case.
The prosecution in the case is being handled by Kansas Attorney General Steve Six and his office.
Late Thursday night following the Tuesday, Aug. 24, discovery of the DeBolt’s burned body at Venture Corporation’s asphalt plant west of Great Bend, law enforcement authorities served a search warrant on Longoria’s home. Early the following morning, it is alleged that Longoria stole a Venture vehicle and fled town.
Kansas Highway Patrol troopers apprehended him hours later northeast of Ellsworth on Interstate 70.
He was arrested and charged with the theft Aug. 30. Authorities brought the murder charges Sept. 7.
DeBolt was last seen alive at about 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, leaving for a party. She never came home. After being found at the plant, her body was positively identified the following Wednesday night.
Longoria was released from prison in Texas in May and is also a suspect in North Carolina where he allegedly called bomb threats into elementary schools.
