Murder suspect seeking a new attorney

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

PAULDING — A Grover Hill man charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of another Grover Hill man is seeking new legal representation.

Corbin Delgado, 21, made the request in a handwritten letter dated September 17 and addressed to Paulding County Common Pleas Court Judge Tiffany Beckman.

“I Corbin Delgado wish to request new legal council (sp) for ineffectiveness of council (sp),” he wrote. “John Hopkins refuses to effectively represent my case based on both the facts of the case and my wishes as his client. He continues to cause undue delay and is misrepresenting before the court.”

Hopkins, of Ottawa, is a court-appointed attorney. A hearing on Delgado’s request is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, September 30.

Delgado is facing charges of murder, an unclassified felony; felonious assault, a second degree felony, and assault, a first degree misdemeanor. The charges, which were passed down by a grand jury in June, are tied to a late May attack.

Paulding County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a disturbance in the 16000 block of Road 24, southwest of Grover Hill, shortly before 1 a.m. May 27. The initial caller reported a male was being argumentative and had a knife. Deputies arrived at the scene within minutes and found Derek  Pontius, 40, suffering from stab wounds. Life saving measures were administered by deputies and members of the Grover Hill EMS and Pontius was transported to OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital, but was pronounced dead.

Delgado had fled the scene on foot but about an hour later, a deputy located him in the Village of Grover Hill. A trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted the deputy in apprehending Delgado. He was booked in the Paulding County Jail, where he remains in lieu of $1 million bond, with a 10 percent provision. On September 11, a motion made by Delgado to modify his bond was denied by Judge Beckman.

His case remains on hold, due to a request to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. According to documents filed with the court, Delgado was permitted to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity along with his original not guilty plea, pending the results of at least one mental health evaluation to determine his competency to stand trial.

“We are still awaiting the report from his evaluation,” said Pretrial Supervision Officer/Court Assistant Melissa Daeger.

Delgado was originally scheduled to stand trial August 27-29.