Brooks Houck’s attorneys ask judge to consider change of venue for possible trial

NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT

Thursday, March 7, 2024 — The attorneys representing Brooks Houck haved filed a request for a change of venue with Nelson Circuit Court.

The filing requests that the court grant the defense’s motion to move the case to either Boyd County or Daviess County due to the extensive pretrial publicity in the case, which they say would make it impossible to seat an impartial jury for a trial.

The filing notes that Brooks Houck’s police interviews have been a view of the Nelson County Gazette YouTube channel more than 164,000 times. The video has also been used on a number of true crime cable TV shows, and the Crystal Rogers case has been the topic of a number of podcasts. Additionally, a search of his name on the local newspaper’s website found 237 articles published that mention him.

“Brooks has become a pariah in Nelson County and the surrounding counties as a result of this constant media coverage,” the filing states. “Because of the vast amount of media attention,this case has gotten, the presumption of innocence no longer applies to Brooks in Nelson County.’

The filing points out that due to the extensive publicity, Brooks Houck’s earlier 2018 case involving the alleged theft of building materials from Lowes was moved from Nelson County to Warren County.

NEXT UP. Brooks Houck, as well as co-defendants Joseph Lawson and Steven Lawson are due to appear in Nelson Circuit Court at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

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