La Crosse man refuses to leave jail cell, instead of appearing in court for attempted murder; already declared competent for trial

A suspect in an attempted murder in La Crosse is continuing to refuse to leave his jail cell to appear in court.

For the second time in the last month, Freeman Cole did not leave jail Monday for an evidence hearing. He also asked to change attorneys.

Judge Gloria Doyle denied Cole’s request. The 44-year-old is charged with six criminal counts, for allegedly attacking a woman at a La Crosse storage unit last October, before he was discovered and ran from the scene.

Cole was eventually arrested in Florida a few weeks after the attack, and brought back to Wisconsin.

The judge turned down Cole’s attempt to get his defense attorneys withdrawn from the case.

Doyle said in court that Cole was found competent for trial, but apparently is “trying to play the system.”

A video link to the jail may be considered for Cole’s Oct 7 hearing.