BALFOUR'S LAWYER QUITS

Less than a month after a judge agreed to move William Balfour closer to Chicago so the man charged with murdering Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew could more easily consult with his lawyer, that attorney has quit the case.



Kutnick told the Chicago Sun-Times paper that although he believes Balfour is innocent of the crime, he cannot afford to shoulder the burden of the high-profile case alone. "It's the kind of case that involves intense hours," Kutnick said, reportedly after breaking the news to Balfour's mother. "I was gathering all resources, but I couldn't finance it."

Balfour, 27, who was transferred from the Statesville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois, to the Cook County Jail in late January at Kutnick's request, was scheduled to have a new lawyer from the public defender's office appointed to his case Monday.

Balfour is charged with killing Oscar-winning actress/singer Hudson's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew at their Chicago home in October. He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion. Kutnick had said there is no forensic evidence linking his former client to the killings.