The domestic violence trial of former City of Madison Alder Charles Myadze has been delayed after he fired his attorney, and a judge granted her motion to withdraw. A new trial date has not been set, though a status conference is scheduled for September 8.
His trial had been scheduled for August 3 and 4.
Online court records indicate that at a hearing Monday, Judge John Hyland granted attorney Emily Bell’s motion to withdraw. Myadze does not have a new lawyer retained, but told the court that he would apply for Dane County’s Criminal Defense Project which provides court-appointed representation for a flat fee.
Bell told Madison365 that she moved to withdraw from the case because Myadze wished to discharge her and hire different counsel.
Myadze faces seven felony charges related to domestic violence, all related to accusations made by former Madison police detective, deputy mayor, mayoral candidate and nonprofit executive Gloria Reyes.
“Every delay is painful because it prolongs a chapter of my life I have been trying to move beyond,” Reyes said in a text message to Madison365 Tuesday. While I respect the legal process and the need for a fair trial, each postponement means carrying this emotional burden longer.”
She expressed gratitude for messages of support from the community, and urged anyone experiencing domestic violence to seek help.
“Please know that you are not alone. Help is available,” she wrote. “Reach out to Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) or another trusted domestic violence organization in your community. There are people who will listen, believe you, and help you find a path to safety.”
The charges, filed in December 2024, came after several months of allegations and revelations about the three-term alder.
In the spring of 2024, former girlfriend Michelle McKoy and ex-wife Jamie Johnson alleged that Myadze had abused them for years, going back as far as 2002.
Later, three women brought complaints of sexual harassment. In October 2024, an independent investigation found that Myadze did engage in “bizarre” and “troubling” behavior with the women — a fellow Alder, a City employee and a local nonprofit leader — but that he did not violate city policy or state law.
In November, former Madison school board president, deputy mayor and mayoral candidate Gloria Reyes alleged that Myadze abused her during a three-year relationship, including choking her and knocking her unconscious while he was serving as an Alder.
On December 10, 2024, the Common Council censured him on a vote of 13-2 for the behavior described in the investigative report, and Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway removed him from all committees. He announced that he would not seek a fourth term.
On December 12, 2024, Madison police arrested him based on Reyes’s allegations.
Charges include one count of burglary, three counts of strangulation, one count of subtantial battery with intentional bodily harm, one count of false imprisonment and one count of battery during a burglary. If convicted on all charges, he could face 60 years in prison.
Myadze has denied most of the allegations, only acknowledging that his relationship with Reyes did become violent at times. He claimed it was Reyes who initiated the physical fights.
