The chambers of Superior Court III are ringing today with profanity, shouting and fantastical claims. Aubrey Coy, 35, of 4865 E CR 1000N, Syracuse, is standing trial today for the interference of a custody order, a class D felony. Just over a year ago, Coy led Michigan police on a high speed pursuit after abducting her then 5-year-old daughter from a supervised visitation at her mother’s Syracuse residence.
Though offered court counsel, Coy has instead elected to represent herself, requesting a “fast and speedy” trial by jury. Judge Joe Sutton, who is overseeing the proceedings, attempted to warn Coy against self-representation, noting she would be held to the same standards as an attorney during the proceedings. However his words fell on deaf ears. In addition, though Coy was offered civilian clothing for the proceedings, she has insisted vehemently that she wear her orange and white prison jumpsuit.
Initially, Coy did allow her standby attorney, Erin Rowland of Rowland Law Office, Warsaw, to represent her. Rowland requested the judge continue the case to allow for a mental competency evaluation of Coy based off of her numerous writings to the court. Coy, upon understanding Rowland’s request, immediately reclaimed the right to self-representation.
Sutton stated the court also attempted to pursue a mental evaluation of Coy, going so far as to schedule an appointment for Coy at the Bowen Center. However, after receiving a letter telling him to “stick the evaluation up his butt” and noting she had no intention to comply with the evaluation, the court desisted in the pursuit of the evaluation.
A six-person jury has been established for the case, and though testimony has been heard from Coy’s mother, Jennifer Coy; biological father of Coy’s daughter, Louis Milos; Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Christopher Anderson; and Michigan State Trooper Matt Berry, proceedings have been anything but easy for Prosecutor Karin McGrath and Sutton. Numerous objections have been filed at every opportunity with radical claims thrown about during witness testimonies.
Coy’s outbursts have ranged from claims of a cult within the Kosciusko County Jail electrocuting her to claiming officials are lying or conspiring against her.
“Mike (the individual Coy claims to be the father of her child, despite a court ordered paternity test ruling otherwise) is downstairs (in the county jail) being electrocuted like me — were being held by the cult and chained up . . . I’m being continuously shocked in my spine — I can hardly breathe,” stated Coy.
She has continually insisted this is a “paternity case” not a “custody case,” urging Judge Duane Huffer be at the proceedings to testify on her behalf that this is a “paternity case.” Sutton addressed Coy’s urgings, noting that though Huffer was subpoenaed, he stated he had no personal knowledge of the case and quashed the subpoena.
In addition, in her opening statement, Coy informed the jury, “I’d do it again if they don’t give back my little girl and quit the bullsh**.”
Struggling to stay relevant to events occurring on April 13, 2014, the day Coy allegedly abducted her daughter, McGrath has played the recording of the 911 call placed by Coy’s mother, Jennifer, after realizing Coy had escaped the residence with her daughter. In addition, a video of the police chase the occurred in Michigan was played for the jury, clearly showing Coy fleeing police with her daughter on her lap at speeds, according to Berry, reaching 75 miles per hour. Coy was only stopped after two tires were punctured by stop sticks and one tire fell apart. She then is shown attempting to flee on foot with the child.
Throughout the video, Coy erupted with objections, screaming to just be considered guilty so she did not have to watch the video, which she stated caused her emotional distress. Her outbursts and objections were dismissed by the judge.
The trial continues this afternoon following a lunch break.
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