Crystal Rogers case: Lawson fires Lavitt, requests court to appoint a new attorney

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024 — Steve Lawson, one of the defendants in the Crystal Rogers case, told Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III he wanted to discharge his defense attorney, Ted Lavitt of Lebanon, and requested the appointment of new public defender.

The court hearing was to consider motions filed on behalf of co-defendants Steve Lawons and his son, Joey Lawson. But the hearing stopped before it began when Steve Lawson raised his hand to request a new attorney.

While prosecutors had no objections to Lawson’s request, prosecutor Teresa Young told the court she had concerns regarding Lavitt’s representation of his client going back as far as March 2024.

Young said that during an Aug. 4th call Steve Lawson made from jail to his family, he said he had learned that Lavitt had a meeting with Brooks Houck’s attorneys behind Lawson’s back. Lawson told family members he had already advised Lavitt he no longer required his services.

Young said she was concerned to see that court filings by Lavitt and attorneys for Brooks Houck used many of the same passages from testimomny transcripts, including some of the same misquotes and paraphrasing.

“It defies reason that they would be exactly the same,” she said, adding that she didn’t understand why Lavit’s immunity motion for Lawson would have been done in a collaborative effort with Brooks Houck’s attorneys.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, but I know that its something that the court needs to inquire about,” she said, adding that she wasn’t sure Steve Lawson had received the type of defense he is entitled to under the Sixth Amendment.

Simms granted Lawson’s request for a new attorney, who will be appointed in time for the next hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Simms did not address the motions filed on behalf of Steve Lawson or his son, Joseph Lawson.

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