It took several tries but an attorney has finally been appointed for Irving Leroy “Chubby” Martin.

Martin, 46, is charged with seven felonies, including three which, if he is ultimately convicted, could put him behind bars for the rest of his life.

The former fugitive, who was on the run for eight months until being apprehended in Arkansas last October, was in court last Tuesday to have the issues surrounding his defense counsel settled.

His former attorney, Paul Gregorio, asked to be removed from the case last month, a request granted by Circuit Court Judge Timothy K. Sanner.

The judge instructed Martin then that he would have to accept the court-appointed attorney assigned to his case, find means to retain legal counsel on his own, or defend himself.

Last week, attorney Steve Branch was appointed to head Martin’s defense.

Another attorney, Richmond-based Carlotta B. Thompson, had been trying to get on Goochland’s court-appointed list in order to represent Martin.

Branch informed the court last week that Thompson, unable to attend the hearing due to a family illness, could potentially come on to the case later but neither she nor Branch could find justification for two court-appointed attorneys.

Martin is scheduled to be arraigned on March 14 at 9:30 a.m. After discussion between Sanner, Branch, and Commonwealth’s Attorney Claiborne Stokes, a tentative date for trial was set for June 24-26, due to the expected length of the proceeding.

Then a resident of Gum Spring, Martin stands accused of assaulting a neighbor last February.

After the incident, which allegedly took place the same day he was scheduled in court for another assault, Martin disappeared.

Authorities finally tracked him down eight months later in Van Buren, Ark. The break in the search for Martin came within 24 hours of his case being profiled on the long-running Fox crime series “America’s Most Wanted.”

Within days of his profile airing, tipsters had police focused on Oklahoma and Arkansas, where Martin allegedly had picked up odd jobs and was going under numerous aliases.

Authorities in Van Buren had been on the lookout for Martin when they pulled into a gas station and noticed a suspicious person in a red Jeep ducking down.
Lt. Brent Grill with the Van Buren Police Department said Martin was trying to secure passage to Texas.

He was thwarted, Grill said, when a caller whom he was trying to get a ride from turned him in.

Martin was extradited to Virginia a week later and recently was indicted on a laundry list of charges, including rape, breaking-and-entering with intent to commit rape, and forcible sodomy.

He will also face aggravated malicious wounding when he eventually stands trial.