Prosecution Scores Victory During Pretrial Motions in Disa Murder Trial

Pretrial motions and jury hardship cases were heard in the courtroom of Judge Peter Foor during the first phase of Adam Disa’s murder trial in Fairfield on Tuesday, September 25.

Disa is on trial for the murder of 2002 Benicia High School graduate Katherine “Katie” Gillihan in February 2011. 

The defense was dealt a blow when Judge Foor ruled that information regarding a 2004 knife attack against a former girlfriend and her boyfriend would be allowed as evidence in this trial.

Defense attorney Ken Lee argued that the 2004 attacks were significantly different and were not classified at the time by the courts as domestic violence. 

Judge Foor disagreed saying, “Evidence of prior domestic violence or a propensity to domestic violence is extremely relevant.”

The defense did win one argument when Judge Foor ordered that the jury would not be shown pictures of Katie Gillihan taken at the scene.

Katie Gillihan’s mother, Donna Gillihan, was in the courtroom Tuesday as she has been for all the hearings. 

The court will reconvene at 9:15 a.m. today.  The trial is expected to last about one week.

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