County Will Ask for Financial Aid for Murder Trial

MARSHALL — The Harrison County Commissioners Court will consider today approving a grant to help with prosecution expenses related to a capital murder case. The grant could fund more than $200,000 in expenses the county occurred in the trial of Cortne Mareese Robinson. Robinson, 19, of Marshall was one of three people charged with the fatal shooting of Frank Zabokrtsky, 82, during a September 2009 home invasion. Jurors sentenced Robinson to death for Zabokrtsky’s murder.

In September, the county received $98,000 from the Texas Task Force of Indigent Services to help offset the almost half-million dollar deficit accumulated from trial expenses. The award only funded the defense expenses used to provide access to counsel for the poor. The grant that will be considered Tuesday is from the Office of Governor Criminal Justice Division in the amount of $203,500. The commissioner’s court approved a resolution in August to submit an application for the grant to reimburse prosecution expenses. Harrison County First Assistant Auditor Jana Smallwood said the county had budgeted $250,000 for the trial, which ended up costing almost double that.