Baltimore County Circuit Court allows delay of parents' trial in

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Oct 8, 2008 by Danny Jacobs

The trial of a Rodgers Forge couple accused in the December starvation death of their 2-year-old son, scheduled to begin later this month, has been postponed so the defense can obtain a medical file related to the case.

Lawyers for John and Susan Griffin on Monday won their motion to summon evidence from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner over prosecutors' objections in Baltimore County Circuit Court. Robin S. Coffin, the deputy state's attorney handling the case, said Tuesday that the information in the medical file is the same as the information in an autopsy prosecutors gave defense lawyers in May, save for some tissue slides.

The two sides will meet Thursday with Judge Timothy J. Martin to set a new trial date. The trial was scheduled to start Oct. 27.

The Griffins are each charged with first-degree murder in the death of Andrew Griffin, who weighed only 13 pounds when he died Dec. 26. Susan Griffin, 38, remains in jail on $1 million bail; John Griffin, 39, was released in May on $100,000 bond.

Joseph Murtha of Miller, Murtha & Psoras LLC in Lutherville, who represents John Griffin, and Michelle Moodispaw, an assistant public defender representing Susan Griffin, did not return calls seeking comment.