There’s been another twist in the Brian Cooper murder case. With only weeks left before the 37-year old Illinois man’s second murder trail in Door County Circuit Court, Cooper has retained another legal counsel. Cooper is accused in the strangling death of 19-year old Alisha Bromfield of Plainfield, Illinois and her unborn child at a southern Door County resort in August of 2012. His first trial ended in a hung jury in June of last year. According to court records, Judge D. Todd Ehlers accepted Cooper’s request that Attorney John Birdsall replace public defenders Jeffrey Cano and Gregory Gerbers. Earlier this month, Cooper asked Judge Ehlers to allow Birdsall to act as his legal counsel, relieving Cano and Gerbers of the duty because he had lost confidence in them. Cooper also asked the judge for more time so that Birdsall could prepare for the second trial on two counts of first degree intentional homicide, but he was rebuffed by Ehlers. Attorney Birdsall indicated that he would be ready to provide a defense when the murder trial resumes on May 2nd.
