Public defender may testify in ax killing

The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office may call Public Defender John Adams as a witness today in response to a convicted murderer’s bid for a new trial.

Gerald Barcella, convicted of killing his landlord with an ax, claims Adams and others who represented him in the 1997 murder trial didn’t do a good enough job.

Deputy Prosecutor Marty Raap said he plans to call Adams to respond to Barcella’s allegations of improper defense.

Barcella, a burly, tattooed man, sobbed and dabbed his eyes with a tissue as he leveled numerous claims against Adams and state-appointed attorneys who handled subsequent appeals of the decade-old conviction.

He said his attorneys didn’t put on witnesses that could have defended his character, like childhood friend Maxine Valdyga, who testified over the telephone Tuesday.

Valdyga said she was flown in from the East Coast for Barcella’s trial, but defense attorneys said she couldn’t testify because she was “too explosive.”

“I’ve never had any doubts as to Gerry,” Valdyga said. “I would trust him with my kids without thinking twice.”

Barcella testified Adams only visited him in jail a handful of times leading up to the trial and that co-counsel Tim Gresback’s visits were just as rare.

“My communication with John was terrible,” Barcella said, describing the public defender as a “dictator.” Gresback only talked about hunting and fishing, Barcella testified.

He criticized Adams for refusing to let him testify on his own behalf and for not considering his input when it came to defense strategy.

Barcella said he also asked Adams about the possibility of a plea deal.

“His answer to that was, ‘Your plea bargain’s death. You don’t get a plea bargain,’ ” Barcella said.

Barcella is expected to continue his testimony today.

He was sentenced to life in prison for using a firefighter’s ax to kill 69-year-old landlord William Smith in April 1995. Prosecutors alleged Barcella was angry that Smith was trying to evict him.