Murder Defendant Retains Bretz Law, Gets Rid Of Judge

JOLIET, IL - Since May, Martell Ollie found himself locked away in the Will County Jail charged with first-degree murder and facing the prospect of having his case handled by Will County Judge Sarah Jones. Over the course of several weeks, the 24-year-old Joliet man, who lived on Nicholson Street, entertained the idea of being his own lawyer. Joliet Police arrested Ollie on May 18 in connection with the fatal shooting of Donald M. Woods Jr. on Joliet's southeast side.

The slaying of the 24-year-old Romeoville resident occurred around 4 p.m May 15 in the 200 block of Fourth Avenue near Sherman Street.

On June 26, Ollie sent Will County Judge Sarah Jones a notice calling for a change of venue. At that time, the court was still reluctant to grant Ollie's request to be his own lawyer for his ongoing murder case.

"I pray that the court will grant me this motion for a change of venue," Ollie wrote from the Will County Jail where he is being held on a $5 million bail.

"I'm asking for this change of venue or substitution of judge for reasons 1 (through) 5:

Ollie stated, "I won't receive a fair hearing in front of Judge Jones. There's a conflict of interest ... Your honor already has a bias opinion of me. The right to change of venue for prejudice of the judge is absolute."

Now, the Joliet law firm of Chuck Bretz & Associates has entered the case and taken up Ollie's defense.

This month, criminal defense attorney Neil Patel filed an appearance on the case, and Patel renewed Ollie's request for a substitution of the judge.

Judge Jones agreed, and she removed herself from presiding over Ollie's murder case.

Ollie's murder case was sent to Courtroom 405 of Judge Dave Carlson, court proceedings show.

Mugshot of Martell Ollie via Will County Sheriff