Powers’ Bail Hearing in Angstadt Slaying Continued until May

COURT HOUSE – Derrick Powers, 23, one of two accused suspects in the murder of Nicole Angstadt, appeared before Superior Court Judge John C. Porto March 24.
Flanked by his defense attorney, Stephen F. Funk, and a sheriff’s officer, Powers stared forward impassively as the charges that brought him before the judge that day, two counts of robbery out of eight filed with the court, were met by Funk entering pleas for his client of not guilty to both charges.
Succeeding that, Funk disclosed that he had only recently been given new discovery evidence pertaining to the charges, as well as receiving over 800 pages of new discovery evidence associated with his client’s possible role in the death of Nicole Angstadt.
With eight robbery charges delivering a possible sentence of 22 years in state prison and the homicide charge carrying a potential life sentence, Funk commented that allowing more time was the right thing to do in regards to the severity of the accusations.
The only time Powers showed any hint of emotion was when the words “life sentence” was uttered by First Assistant Prosecutor Robert Johnson. At that, Powers blinked slowly and pursed his lips.
Johnson affirmed the recent hand-over of evidence to the defense and agreed with Funk that due to that and the fact that results from the post-mortem examination were still incomplete, the status of the $250,000 bail hearing for the two charges should be postponed so as to allow the defense more time to go over the case thoroughly with all the facts before them.
A motion by Funk to reconvene May 26 at 11 a.m. was accepted by the prosecution and the judge.
The defense provided one slight surprise during the hearing. In discussing the mountain of evidence he had recently received, Funk also commented on the fact that he had numerous search warrants to review as well as the possibility that at least one warrantless search had occurred on a specific date.
Witnesses to all of the proceedings were family and friends of Angstadt seated in an entire row behind Johnson. Adorned in lavender-colored T-shirts with “Nikki” printed on them next to a ribbon of remembrance, the victims of Angstadt’s murder looked on quietly as events unfolded before them.
With all parties in agreement, Powers was escorted out of court and back to his cell, while the family and friends of Angstadt exited from the opposite direction and held an impromptu confab with Johnson in the hallway.
An island in a sea of lavender, Johnson summarized what had occurred in the court room and answered two questions from the family. As the crowd dissipated there were hugs and a few handshakes. 
To contact Christopher Knoll, email cknoll@cmcherald.com.