Hearing on drug delivery resulting in death continued
A Washington man charged last week by state police with drug delivery resulting in death and possession with intent to deliver heroin that containing fentanyl had his hearing in Central Court continued Wednesday after he told the district judge his family was looking into getting him private counsel.
Robert William Welsh III, 35, whose last known address was Allison Avenue, is accused of providing the drug to the boyfriend of Sarah Adessa Wilson of Clearfield, Clearfield County. She and her boyfriend reportedly used the drug in a Canton Township motel after getting it from Welsh July 31 after meeting him at a nearby bar. The 28-year-old woman was found dead in a room at the Sheffield Street motel the following morning. It is believed it was the first time Wilson had used heroin.
Renee Colbert, the conflict attorney assigned to represent Welsh, said she was assigned to the case late Tuesday. Colbert told District Judge David Mark, who was to hear the case, Welsh indicated his family may be hiring an attorney. If they do not, she would remain as a court-appointed attorney but asked for a continuance to have more time to prepare a defense.
Jason Walsh, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case, said the request for the continuance is at the court’s discretion.
“But we do not want to waste any more time with additional continuances,” Walsh told Mark. “We have out-of-state witnesses.”
Mark told Welsh the charges he faces are serious.
“If you are serious about getting private counsel, there will be no more continuances,” Mark told him. “A lot of people here today have been inconvenienced.”
Colbert asked for a 30-day continuance, but Walsh countered that was too long. Mark said the case would be continued for two weeks, tentatively rescheduling the hearing for March 1. The judge said the date would be at the discretion of the court administrator. Welsh remains in Washington County jail on $500,000 bond.