Stephen Bowen’s attorneys withdraw from Coral Springs vice mayor murder case
.jpeg "Stephen Bowen responded to a judge at a hearing May 5 regarding his current attorneys withdrawing from his case.")
The attorneys representing Stephen Bowen have withdrawn from his case at his parents’ direction as he faces prosecution for reportedly killing his wife, the Coral Springs vice mayor.
Bowen’s mother and father “have communicated with the undersigned counsels that he will no longer need their representation,” according to a memo filed May 1 in Broward County court records.
When Judge Ernest Kollra addressed Bowen during a May 5 hearing, he asked Bowen if this was correct.
“To the best of my understanding,” he responded.
Bowen, 40, was indicted on premeditated murder and tampering with evidence charges after he was accused of shooting Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer at their Coral Springs home during the early-morning hours of April 1. He reportedly used a pillow as a silencer and spent the next day trying to get rid of the shotgun.
Bowen appeared in court for an arraignment April 28 without his attorneys, Glenn Roderman and Philip Johnston, who relied upon a written not guilty plea they filed on his behalf several weeks earlier.
They took on Bowen’s case after the public defender’s office asked not to represent him, saying members of the office had a relationship with Metayer.
The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel would be next in line to represent Bowen after the public defender’s office recused itself, but that office also said it had a conflict, Kollra said.
While Bowen’s family can still hire a private attorney anytime, Kollra appointed Bruce Raticoff to make sure there were no gaps in representation. Raticoff, joining the hearing virtually, told Bowen he would go see him as soon as he could.
Bowen’s next hearing is scheduled for May 28.