Shelby County General Sessions Judge Louis Montesi set September 19 as the next report date in the case of Cleotha Henderson, AKA Abston, for the abduction and murder of Memphis mom Eliza Fletcher.

Henderson appeared in Montesi’s court Thursday morning for the third time in three days.

At issue Thursday were two matters presented Wednesday by Public Defender Jennifer Case: one asking Montesi to review whether the public defender’s office should be disqualified from representing Henderson because it represented him during his 2001 trial for the kidnapping of attorney Kemper Durand and a motion for some type of order regarding “extrajudicial statements” about the case.

Montesi said after reviewing the “limited information” he had, he “could not make a finding that there was any grounds of basis for the put to be disqualified as counsel solely on the basis of a possible appearance of impropriety,” the question that Case had asked.

“You’re on the case,” he told the public defender.

As for her motion for “some type of gag order,” prosecutors objected to a full gag order, saying they “know the rules,” but Case noted a press conference in which Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis called Henderson a “dangerous predator” and asked for an order that would stem such comments in the future.

Without objection from the prosecution, Montesi asked Case to “draft a short order” reinforcing the rules of the court and discouraging law enforcement and others connected with the case from breaching those rules.

The attorneys and the judge set September 19 for a return to court, Montesi reiterated that Henderson’s bond had been revoked, and the hearing was over.

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[Featured image: WATN screenshot]