Suspects in robbery likely to remain in jail until Nov.

The two men accused of running over a University student October 19 will likely remain in jail until mid-November when their case will be heard for the first time. The men were scheduled for a preliminary hearing in municipal court at 18th District Police headquarters yesterday morning, but Judge Linwood Blount postponed the case because one of the men did not have a lawyer. Assistant District Attorney Nancy Beam Winter said the city appointed only one public defender for the men but they each need separate lawyers. She said both men should have their own lawyers for the rescheduled hearing on November 14. Christopher Turner, 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, and Allan Waters, 23, of the 1300 block of S. Ruby Street, remain in custody in a Philadelphia Police detention center. University Police spokesperson Sylvia Canada said Turner is being held on $550,000 bail and Waters on $150,000 bail. They are facing charges of aggravated assault, robbery and conspiracy stemming from the robbery of College junior Roberta Koeppel. Witnesses have told police that the men grabbed the student's book bag as she stepped out of a car on the 4000 block of Locust Street. Koeppel was dragged 20 to 30 feet before being run over. Koeppel was listed in stable condition yesterday at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. A preliminary hearing is the rough equivalent of indictment proceedings. The state must introduce only basic evidence so the court can decide if charges are reasonable. The actual trial will not take place for at least a few months after the hearing if the charges stand, Winter said. Canada said the amount of bail reflects the seriousness of the crime. "They're not coming out," Canada said. "They're not going anywhere." Canada said robbery and aggravated assault carry sentences of 10 to 20 years in prison. Although a judge could choose several ways of imposing sentences, Canada said it is likely the men will spend significant time in jail if convicted. "We've been successful in the past getting some pretty tough sentences against people who commit crimes against people in our community," she said. Working in the police's favor will be the manner in which the men were caught. Plainclothes police officers saw the van drive away from the scene and other officers caught them before they escaped. Because of this, the police do not expect to have trouble proving these men committed the crime. Both University and Philadelphia Police were on hand in court yesterday to testify. Winter said she was prepared to go on with the hearing if the defendants had lawyers.

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