T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Andrew Isaac Griffin speaks to his lawyer Kate Clark of the Columbus-based Samuel H. Shamansky Law Firm before being escorted by Belmont County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The attorney for the man accused of killing Thomas and Angela Strussion argued in court that visits by the eventual jury to four cell towers that pinged the defendant’s phone and to the house where the Strussions were killed were unnecessary.

Kate Clark — the attorney for Andrew Isaac Griffin, who is accused of murdering both Strussions — objected to motions made by Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan to visit the sites.

Flanagan made a motion in Belmont County Common Pleas Court on Friday afternoon for jury members to visit four cell phone towers that pinged Griffin’s phone.

“We believe that it would be prudent,” Flanagan said of his request. “We believe that it would assist the jurors in seeing where the towers that we will ultimately be presenting through the course of testimony and evidence on the video board, where the towers are actually located.”

Clark told Common Pleas Judge Chris Berhalter she feels that it is an unnecessary waste of time and resources to have the jury be transported to look at four towers that could be easily indicated on a map.

“There’s no qualms about where these towers are located. I think that these towers can be aptly displayed on a map,” Clark said. “I just don’t believe that is the best use of juror’s time and resources to have our panel traveling to four different cell phone tower locations. I’m not sure how long it would take, and again, how useful it would be for jurors to be looking at a cell tower and trying to put in perspective where this tower is located in relation to the electric crime scene location, when that can be done on the map.”

Berhalter said he would take Clark’s objection under consideration, then asked Flanagan if the jury would visit the sites all in the same trip or if multiple trips would be scheduled. Flanagan said it would be one trip starting at the Strussion’s Trails End Drive home, then to the surrounding terrain, and then to the four cell phone towers.

Berhalter did not rule on the motion Friday, and said he will take it under consideration.

Griffin was arrested in Hawaii by Belmont County Sheriff’s Department detectives in February for the double homicide of his former business partner Thomas Strussion and his wife Angela Strussion.

Following his arrest, he was transported to the Belmont County Jail, where he has been held since.

During Griffin’s last pretrial hearing in September, the state indicated that it will be filing a motion to advance any notice of alibi from Griffin. On Friday, Flanagan filed the motion for any alibi from Griffin to be disclosed to the state prior to the trial. Flanagan and Clark agreed for the cutoff date for Griffin to disclose an alibi would be November 30.

Clark then filed a motion permitting Griffin to meet with non-lawyer professionals who are a part of his defense team.

Griffin recently retained mitigation specialist James Crates after Berhalter agreed to release funds to pay for the specialist. Griffin had filed an affidavit of indigency. Berhalter agreed to allow Griffin to meet with the non-lawyer professionals.

Flanagan then filed a motion to determine spousal privilege in regards to an unnamed witness. On Monday, a telephone conference call was held between Berhalter, Flanagan, and Clark which ended in Berhalter allowing the unnamed witness to appear before the court via Zoom on November 10 at 2:30 p.m.

Berhalter added that Griffin’s next pretrial will occur directly following the Zoom call, which will determine the spousal privilege of the unnamed witness.