Jose Medina Makes First In-Person Court Appearance

The suspect charged with the murder of Loyola first-year Sheridan Gorman, 26-year-old Jose Medina, made his first in-person court appearance April 15 for his third pre-trial hearing. The case indictments against Medina were announced before Circuit Judge Diedre Dyer in a roughly five-minute proceeding.

Medina will next appear in court April 29 for his arraignment, where a judge will be assigned to his case, the charges against him will be read and he will enter a plea. He attended the previous two hearings virtually while being treated for tuberculosis, The Phoenix reported.

Medina is being kept in Cook County custody after his public defender, Julie Koehler, requested at the previous hearing he remain there out of fear he would be arrested and deported by ICE if released, The Phoenix previously reported.

Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Pekara asked the court to sign an order requiring Medina to submit DNA to the court. Koehler objected and told The Phoenix via email she objected to the state obtaining a mouth swab before they determined a reason to take it.

“The State asks for this on every case, and we object on every case UNTIL the issue becomes timely,” Koehler wrote. “As of right now, no evidence has been collected to compare against his buccal swab. So, we object.”

 Dyer ruled to allow the DNA collection. 

She also asked for three court orders, two healthcare and one protective, requesting Medina go through potential surgery to remove bullet fragments from his nasal cavity.

“Mr. Medina has a myriad of health problems,” Koehler wrote. “I asked for a court order to speak with his doctors, obtain his records, and receive treatment for the bullet that is lodged in his brain.”

All three protection orders were granted with no objections from Pekara.

The lawyer for Gorman’s family Thomas Tripodianos said the family had no new statement for the April 15 hearing.