Attorney defending Debbie Dorian's accused killer says she could drop case

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With prosecutors wanting to put Nickey Stane to death, the woman defending him could now be just weeks away from dropping out.

"That is not lightly done," defense attorney Jane Boulger told Action News. "That's why I've kept asking. But this has to be it," she said.

Boulger confirms she has made a "final" request for more money.

"(Stane) needs to have effective counsel, and effective counsel needs to be able to work so many hours and days," she said.

For years, Boulger has defended Stane against the murder of Debbie Dorian and a string of sexual assaults in Visalia.

He has denied all of the charges through Boulger, who was appointed and paid for by the court.

"It's just impractical the way they have the payment schedule set up," she said. "In five years, I've been paid $43,000 for a death penalty case."

It breaks down to between $20 and $40 an hour.

She wants $150 per hour, which is still well below what private attorneys told Action News they would charge.

"It's not fair to Mr. Stane," Boulger said. "He is entitled to someone who can devote as much time as needed."

Boulger has now involved the ACLU, which is the latest twist in a case that has been slow from the start.

It took investigators more than 20 years to find a DNA match. A judge later cleared the case for trial in 2023.

Boulger has fought prosecutors at every step, including on Wednesday, when she asked for the case to be thrown out again.

"It is the court's intent to deny the motion," Judge Arlan Harrell said.

The judge is now eager to set the case for trial and encouraged the attorneys to find a date.

But if Boulger withdraws, the county must find new attorneys for Stane.

"Someone will have to start all over and read all of the material," she said. "If you read an hour and a half a day, it will take three years to go through everything."

Boulger's latest request is now in the hands of the court's top judge. Action News reached out today and was told the court cannot comment on pending cases.

Everybody is now due back in court on April 10.

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