Attorney to be tried after his former client

Judge Richard Baumgartner is putting the contempt hearing in a high profile double murder case on hold.

Defense attorney Bruce Poston was assigned to represent Letalvis Cobbins in 2007.

Cobbins is one of four defendants charged with carjacking, raping, and killing Channon Christian and Chris Newsom in January 2007.

Judge Baumgartner gave Poston a court order to devote more time to the capital murder case in September 2008.

Poston also defended Eric McLean, who was convicted for reckless homicide for killing his wife's 18 year old lover, Sean Powell.

That love triangle case gained national attention and put Poston and his client on national television multiple times.

McLean was convicted by a jury September 11. Later that month, Judge Baumgartner ordered Poston to devote more time to the Cobbins case.

In October, Poston agreed to represent William Johnson, who is accused of killing an employee at Knoxville Center Mall, after a dispute over a previous purchase.

On November 7, Judge Baumgartner removed Poston from the Cobbins case and accused him of contempt.

The Knox County Criminal Court judge then appointed Scott Green as co-counsel for Cobbins. Green then requested more time to familiarize himself with the case.

Cobbins was scheduled to go to trial in January, but his case was rescheduled for July, which postponed the other three trials.

Judge Baumgartner then blamed Poston for the delays.

On Friday morning, the judge announced he would postpone Poston's contempt hearing until after the Cobbins trial is finished.