Judge rejects replacing counsel for man charged with shooting 3 Palestinian college students

A Vermont judge on Friday denied a request to replace the public defenders for the man charged with shooting and wounding three college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington in November, saying it's premature.

Judge Kevin Griffin also denied Jason Eaton's request to hold a private hearing on the matter with just his attorneys and the judge, excluding the prosecution and media.

“Mr. Eaton is certainly entitled to counsel at state expense but he's not entitled to counsel of his choosing,” Griffin said.

Eaton then told the judge that he would like to represent himself but Griffin said he was not prepared to grant that request. He told Eaton that he can file motions and the court can consider whether he's competent to represent himself.

“Right now you have two great lawyers and a great office to represent you. This is about as serious as it gets so I'm not going to make such a decision on the fly," he said.

Eaton has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder and has been held since his arrest.

The three men, all age 20, were spending their Thanksgiving break in Burlington, and were out for a walk while visiting one of the victims’ relatives when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun, police said. The victims were speaking in a mix of English and Arabic and two of them were also wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves when they were shot, police said. The most seriously injured is now paralyzed from the waist down.

One of his lawyers, Sarah Varty, told the judge that Eaton has expressed a lack of confidence and trust in his counsel but in explaining why he would impact his right to a fair trial and attorney-client privilege.

After Griffin denied his request for a private hearing, Eaton read an argument that he said he was comfortable presenting in the public, saying his lawyers should be replaced because the case has drawn significant media attention; the charges carry potential punishment of up to 60 years to life in prison; and the workload of his counsel, among other things.

Eaton moved to Burlington last summer from Syracuse, New York, and legally purchased the gun used in the shooting, Police Chief Jon Murad told reporters at the time. According to a police affidavit, federal agents found the gun in Eaton’s apartment. Eaton came to the door holding his hands, palms up, and told the officers he’d been waiting for them, authorities said.