BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The former Bakersfield elementary school principal accused of murdering her husband six years ago will be getting a new attorney, but that won't happen officially for at least another week.
Leslie Chance was being represented by Paul Cadman of the Public Defender's office, but last week, the Kern County Superior Court confirmed that her defense reported a conflict to the court. The judge declared a mistrial and Chance was referred to the Indigent Defense Program for new counsel.
In court Wednesday morning, Cadman told the court his office would transfer the defense's files to a new attorney from the IDP once an attorney is assigned. That assignment is expected to happen by the next hearing, set for Tuesday, July 9.
Attorneys were in the midst of selecting a jury, which started on June 24, when the defense announced the conflict. It's not clear what the conflict is.
Chance is accused of killing her husband, Todd Chance, back in 2013 , and then dumping his body in a field. He had been shot multiple times.
Leslie Chance, who served as principal of Fairview Elementary, was arrested early on in the murder investigation, but she was quickly released. She was re-arrested in December of 2016.
She has already pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge.
