Trial for woman accused of M-F robbery set for April 16
By Terry Murry on Monday, March 18th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – The woman charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree manslaughter from an incident at the Red Tea Garden in Milton-Freewater is scheduled to stand trial on April 16. Emerald Julia Williams, 39, was arrested by the Milton-Freewater Police Department on Feb. 25.
Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus said that Williams is entitled to a trial within 60 days of her arrest because she remains incarcerated at the Umatilla County Jail. She has not waived her right to a speedy trial, so his office is preparing as if the trial will begin on that day.
“I think the minute you don’t prepare for it to go assuming that it’s going to get continued like most of them do, that will be the time it ends up going,” he said.
A trial readiness hearing is set for April 1, and Primus said at that time they will learn if Williams waives the 60-day trial right. Williams is charged with a robbery at the restaurant. During that incident she allegedly got into an altercation with the owner, Shu Yi Wu, 56, who died of injuries she sustained during the robbery.
