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	Hosanna Rape Trials to Remain in Amite By Debra Lemoine The Advocate July 24, 2008 http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/suburban/25840644.html AMITE — The upcoming trial of one of the Hosanna Church sex-ring suspects will remain in Amite despite concerns raised by defense counsel over pretrial publicity, state District Judge Zoey Waguespack ruled Wednesday. Louis D. Lamonica, 49, of Holden, is scheduled to be tried on Aug. 18 on charges of aggravated rape of his two sons, age 11 or younger at the time of the abuse. Lamonica is among the seven members of the now-defunct Hosanna Church in Ponchatoula indicted in 2005 in an investigation of alleged sexual abuse involving Lamonica's minor sons and a 2-year-old girl related to another member of the church. Waguespack held a two-hour hearing in 21st Judicial District Court in Amite Wednesday morning to address several issues before the trial starts, including a defense motion to change the location of the trial. Lamonica's attorney, Michael Thiel, had asked to hold the trial elsewhere, arguing that the publicity about this case might prejudice potential Tangipahoa Parish jurors against his client. "I think anything we talk about now would be speculating until we get people in here," Waguespack said as she issued her ruling. Among other rulings Waguespack issued Wednesday, the judge denied a motion to redact, or edit, information relating to alleged abuse of the 2-year-old girl from the state's evidence and to hold a hearing related to evidence about the girl. The judge also denied a motion to postpone the trial. Because Lamonica won't face charges related to alleged abuse of the girl at the trial, Thiel argued that any information about the girl should be removed from statements Lamonica made to law enforcement officers, taped statements made by Lamonica's two sons and writings from all three Lamonicas. "My issue is whether that evidence is evidence of other crimes," Thiel said. If evidence related to the girl is "evidence of other crimes," Thiel argued, he would be entitled to a hearing on that evidence to determine if it is factual because Lamonica has not been tried for abusing the girl. Assistant District Attorney Don Wall asserted that because the evidence related to the girl is so intertwined with evidence about the boys, the two issues can't be separated. And, if the issues can't be separated, then Thiel's client is not entitled to the hearing, Wall said. Last week, Wall severed the two counts of aggravated rape related to the girl from the four counts related to the abuse of the boys from the bill of indictment. That means Lamonica doesn't face charges related to the girl at his Aug. 18 trial, but could be tried on them at a later date. As for postponing the trial, Thiel said that he is concerned about receiving answers back from the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge on outstanding writs. He also said he is concerned whether writs to be filed based on Wednesday's rulings would be settled by the start of the trial. "Even if it was continued to 2010," Wall replied, "I assure you we will be in the same position a month before trial."
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