KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Convicted murder Kenneth Hudson will not be allowed an early appeal of an order dismissing his attorney from the case, a state appeals court ruled.
Hudson is serving a life prison term for the June 25, 2000, murder of Shanna Van Dyn Hoven, 19. She was killed while jogging in a Kaukauna park. Hudson was also sentenced to consecutive sentences after that for kidnapping, attempted homicide and recklessly endangering safety, totaling another 70 years in prison. Since sentencing, Hudson has filed more than a dozen appeals and motions — usually focusing on claims he was framed — and all have failed.
Marinette County Judge James Morrison, then the chief judge for the seven-county administrative judicial district which also includes Outagamie County, assigned himself the case in 2021. Morrison had ordered Hudson to file what Morrison has described as one final, “all-encompassing motion” to address any remaining issues. However, a series of other issues have derailed multiple deadlines for that motion to be filed.
At a hearing in February, Morrison removed Hudson’s attorney –Michael Balskus — from the case for not following court orders and denied a motion to remove himself from it. The judge then gave Hudson until March 31 to file his appeal.
That deadline was put on hold, however, as Balskus filed what’s known as an “interlocutory appeal.” Rather than wait for the case to play out and then appeal the issue, Balskus asked the appeals court for permission to appeal those issues now.
The permission to file the appeal was denied Tuesday, according to court records. A copy of the decision has not been posted on the court’s website as of Wednesday morning, however.
The decision sends the case back to Judge Morrison, although no hearings have been set.
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