Romeoville Baseball Bat Murder: Chuck Bretz Out As Mark Ballard Lawyer

JOLIET, IL — Mark Ballard, the Will County first-degree murder defendant from Romeoville who is no longer staying in the Will County Jail awaiting his trial, has parted ways with his defense lawyer, Chuck Bretz, because the two men could not get along, court records show. Ballard has waited over nine years to go to trial, and there still is no trial date on the calendar.

In August 2014, Adam Ballard was only 15 when he and his father Mark were charged in the murder of 55-year-old Richard Pollack after he accused them of burglarizing his car.

"That a further breakdown in communication has arisen between the defendant and attorney Bretz; rather than cooperate with Attorney Bretz in his representation of the defendant ... the defendant has now made various accusations against attorney Bretz which include an assertion that he believes that attorney Bretz has committed certain ethical violations, including, but not limited to the failure to report other attorneys and members of the judiciary as to alleged ethical violations that impacted the defendant's case," Bretz's motion for leave to withdraw stated.

Toward the end of his motion, Bretz wrote, "the defendant, through his accusations toward attorney Bretz, has created a situation where it is impossible for attorney Bretz to continue to represent the defendant in regards to his pending cases. That Chuck Bretz, Chuck Bretz & Associates, respectfully requests leave to withdraw from its representation of the defendant in the above referenced matters."

Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak ruled in Bretz's favor, allowing him to withdraw as Mark Ballard's lawyer. Mark Ballard will now get to serve as his own lawyer for his high-profile murder case out of Romeoville, a violent crime that is now nine years and one-month old now.

In 2014, Romeoville police said they responded at around 2 a.m. Aug. 10 to a report of a disturbance outside Pollack's Tallman Avenue home involving several people armed with baseball bats. Officers found Pollack critically injured. He was taken to Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital, where he died.

Police said the attack stemmed from accusations that Adam and Mark Ballard burglarized Pollack's vehicle several days earlier. The alleged burglary was never reported to police, and none of the other people allegedly present for the Aug. 10, 2014 baseball bat attack were charged.

As for Mark Ballard, he, too, has filed several motions with the Will County courts, explaining how he and Bretz did not get along when it came to their strategy for the murder trial preparation.

"The main reason the defendant and Mr. Bretz are in court today is because Mr. Bretz now accuses the defendant of refusing to tender to him certain exhibits, but the truth of the matter asserted is the defendant never refused to share evidence or exhibits with Mr. Bretz, but informed Mr. Bretz that we are under no obligation to share our strategy with the state but only to make sure that any evidence we intend to use is in the state's possession before our hearing and it is.

"Attorney Mr. Bretz attempted to violate work product and our right to develop in secret by demanding the defendant to turn over our plan of action to the state and noted for us not to would be to 'ambush' the state," Mark Ballard wrote the judge. "I, the defendant, then asked Mr. Bretz if that were the case, why then was the state allowed to ambush me the defendant by submitting such a vague answer to our motion to dismiss then allowed to present at least 10 manilla folders of evidence, videos and false time stamps before the court on April 17, 2023, without a single objection by either super attorney on the defendants case?"

Mark Ballard urged the Will County judge to deny Bretz's motion to withdraw, asking that Judge Bertani-Tomczak "order Mr. Bretz to work with the defendant to prepare our strategy in secret, admonish defendant pursuant to Sup. R. 401 granting the defendant and Mr. Chuck Bretz the 6th Amendment right of representation in Pro Socio, and grant any and all relief this court deems necessary."

Related Patch coverage of the Romeoville baseball bat murder:

Baseball Bat Murder: Son Paroled, Dad's Bail Cut In Half

Romeoville Baseball Bat Murder Trial Ends With Plea

Romeoville Father and Son Plead Not Guilty in Beating Death