Gang member may request new trial

Defense attorneys for convicted armed robber and gang activity participant Windy Dawn Pannell asked a judge Thursday for more time to decide if they will file a motion for a new trial.

Court-appointed attorneys James Dungan and Eric Laurenzo have until Thursday to decide if they will move for a new trial. If they file such a motion, they will argue for a new trial Oct. 30. A judge will decided if a new trial is warranted. If not, a sentencing will proceed that day.

Pannell, 29, entered Alford pleas during a trial in June for two armed robberies of Staunton-area hotels on Christmas Eve 2007. Such pleas acknowledged that evidence against her was strong enough to result in a conviction but stopped short of admitting a role in the crimes. Testimony against her came from boyfriend Nathaniel Rivers, an admitted high-ranking Bloods member also convicted in the string of robberies.

Pannell was assigned new attorneys in August.

Prosecutor Phil Figura opposed the continuance, describing the “state of fear” in which witnesses remain, but Judge Victor V. Ludwig said the “rather extraordinary proceeding” warranted extra time for attorneys.

Pannell is in custody at Middle River Regional Jail in Verona. Her brother, David Pannell, Jr., was murdered in 2005 by a member of the Bloods gang, court records show.