Accused cop killer picks attorney

In an unusual move yesterday, the judge presiding over a hearing for Juan Quintero, the man accused of shooting HPD Officer Rodney Johnson to death during a Sept. 21 traffic stop, cleared the courtroom and let Quintero choose who his court-appointed lawyer will be.

There was a disagreement between the judge and the Mexican consulate about the attorney assignment: The judge had originally appointed Jim Leitner to represent Quintero, but the consulate wanted Danalynn Recer to be his lawyer instead (the consulate weighed in because Quintero is a Mexican national in the U.S. illegally). So yesterday, the judge cleared the courtroom of all attorneys and asked Quintero through a translator which attorney he wanted — and he picked Recer, who is known for working on the appeals of Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, the "Railroad Killer" but has practiced half the time Leitner has. "It's not useful to me," she told KTRK yesterday. "It's useful to Mr. Quintero, and that's all I have to say."

Harris County DA Chuck Rosenthal's office said Quintero's choice of lawyer won't change its case. "We'll work with whoever is representing the defendant in this criminal case," prosecutor Denise Nassar told Channel 13. "Our goal is to make sure we get a fair trial and make sure the defendant gets a fair trial. We're going to go forward on the facts of this case regardless of any other governements involved."

Quintero is scheduled to stand trial in May. If he's convicted, he could receive the death penalty.