Whitmill back in court Friday over transfer delay

◼ Whitmill back in court Friday over transfer delay
Jason Whitmill, whose street race with another man ended with the death of a 9-year-old girl last year, was back in court Friday, one week after he was sentenced to 14 years and eight months in prison.

A judge granted a request by Whitmill, 32, to delay being sent to the California Department of Corrections. His attorney asked that he remain in the Humboldt County jail for 60 days to finalize a divorce.

Assistant District Attorney Wes Keat asked Superior Court Judge Dale Reinholtsen to cancel the delay during the Friday hearing.
”No such divorce is in progress,” Keat said.

Whitmill's attorney, Glenn Brown, said he was “at a loss for words” and that a divorce was indeed in progress.

Brown said his client does not have the best access to the family courts and papers while in custody and argued that taxpayers would end up paying for Whitmill to be transported back from prison to Humboldt County to complete his divorce.

”He's here,” Brown said. “It makes no sense to bring him up and down the highway.”

Reinholtsen said he'd consider the matter, giving no future date for a ruling on it....