Judge orders Floyd County to pay Camm defense attorneys’ bills

The dispute over trial expenses between the attorneys representing David Camm and Floyd County came closer to a resolution Wednesday with Judge Jonathan Dartt ordering the county auditor to pay about $140,000.

Camm, a former Indiana State Police Trooper, was convicted of murdering his wife and two children at their home in Floyd County in 2000. He was tried three separate times – the convictions from the first two trials were both overturned on appeal – before being found not guilty in a third trial.

The much-publicized case cost Floyd County more than $4 million over the past 13 years and left county officials fretting over how to cover the expenses with the municipality’s already stretched coffers.

Wednesday’s hearing focused on roughly $175,000 in unpaid defense bills from the third trial. Specially appointed Judge Jonathan Dartt ordered county Auditor Scott Clark to pay the defense attorneys, Richard Kammen and Stacy Uliana. The outstanding bills cover the defense team’s expert witnesses and other expenses.

“It’s really just unfortunate that it seems to be an issue with the auditor,” Uliana said, adding the defense wants to get this matter resolved so everyone can get paid.

At the hearing, Greg Reger, attorney appointed by Floyd County to handle the billing issues surrounding the Camm case, gave Kammen and Uliana a check for $39,000 and made arrangements to get them another $100,000. Dartt then gave the auditor three days to settle the remaining amount of roughly $40,000.

Reger declined to comment about the proceeding.

Kammen and Uliana represented Camm as public defenders. During the defendant’s first two trials his family paid the attorney bills, but by the second appeal, financial resources were depleted and the family had to rely on public defenders.   

After the current bills are settled, one more bill, covering the expenses for the defense’s touch DNA expert, will remain.