Joshua Seiden is no longer employed as deputy Douglas County district attorney, and a preliminary hearing in a murder case set for Monday was continued after a closed-door meeting in Douglas County District Court.
Seiden had served as deputy DA under Suzanne Valdez since January 2021, after he had helped her campaign to win the office. The exact circumstances of his departure were unclear Monday.
Public Information Officer Cheryl Cadue said Senior Assistant District Attorney David Greenwald would be stepping into Seiden’s former position.
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“Joshua Seiden has been an integral part of our office since District Attorney Valdez took office, and his contributions have been significant,” Cadue wrote in an email. “We wish him the very best as he seeks new opportunities.”
Cadue said the DA’s office doesn’t make formal announcements about staff leaving, although two departures — Chief Assistant DA Jennifer Tatum and Assistant DA Christen Secrest — can be found on the DA’s office social media pages as recently as March.
Seiden did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Monday. Valdez did not immediately respond to an email asking whether Seiden would continue serving as her campaign treasurer as she runs for reelection this year.
Greenwald has been with the DA’s office since May 2021, according to county records. He is currently running for district attorney in Johnson County.
Julius Robert Beasley, 40, Lawrence, is charged with first-degree murder and interference with law enforcement in connection with the Feb. 22 stabbing death of Crystal Marie White. White, who had been experiencing homelessness, was found dead in her tent on her 51st birthday.
A preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence against Beasley to proceed to trial was delayed Monday after District Court Judge Stacey Donovan met with Greenwald, Assistant DA Samantha Foster, and court-appointed attorneys Branden Smith and Angela Keck, who was recently added to the defense team.
Outside the courtroom, Smith said the delay could be attributed to a “voluminous amount of discovery” and changes to both the prosecution and defense teams.
According to online records, Seiden was filing documents in Beasley’s case as recently as May. Greenwald’s first filing is dated June 20. A case note shows that Keck joined the defense team on May 7.
Beasley’s new preliminary hearing date is set for Oct. 7. He was arrested on Feb. 22 and remains in custody on $500,000 cash surety bond.
All arrestees and defendants in criminal cases should be presumed not guilty unless they are convicted.
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Andrea Albright (she/her), reporter, can be reached at aalbright (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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