Crystal Rogers defendants appear in Nelson Circuit Court for case review
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Thursday, March 21, 2024 — The three defendants in the Crystal Roers case were in Nelson Circuit Court this afternoon for a status hearing and to allow the judge to consider a variety of motions filed by both the prosecutors and the three defense teams.
Stephen Lawson and Brooks Houck were both present in person for Thursday’s court date, while Joseph Lawson appeared via Zoom from the Kentucky State Reformatory.
CHANGE OF VENUE. The most pressing issue is the request by prosecutors and defense for a change of venue. Right now, both Boyd County (Ashland) and Daviess County (Owensboro) have been mentioned as possible locations
Special Prosecutor Shane Young told Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III that he and the defense attorneys were in agreement on the need for a venue change. He said it was just a matter of getting the attorneys together and making a recommendation they will file with Judge Simms.
Young said he believed the parties could come to an agreement within the next three weeks on a change of venue. Simms set a review date of Wednesday, ,1 p.m. May 1, 2024, for a recommendation from the prosecutor and defense teams. If they can’t agree, Simms said he would decide the matter.
Simms said time was of the essence because whichever court is selected, the new court location must be prepared for could be a lengthy trial.
DISCOVERY. Special prosecutor Young told the court that discovery has been completed, and the defense teams have the material with the exception of some reports that have not yet been finalized.
Those reports should be ready in the next 2 to 3 months, he told the judge.
COMBINED TRIAL. All three defendants have filed objections to the special prosecutor’s motion to combine the three trials.
Brooks Houck’s defense team submitted a 24-page filing claiming, among other things, that a combined trial would violate his Sixth Amendment rights.
After a discussion with the attorneys, Simms said a court date of 9 a.m. June 13, 2024, for a review of the motion to consolidate the three trials.
The court is still looking for the trial (or trials) to take place in February 2025.
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