Rogers case: Joseph Lawson seeks trial separate from his father and Brooks Houck

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 — Joseph Lawson, one of the defendants in the Crystal Rogers case, filed a supplemental motion in court last week to have his trial separated from his two co-defendants, Brooks Houck and Steve Lawson, Joseph Lawson’s father.

The motion was filed as a supplement to Joseph Lawson’s motion for a seperate trial his attorneys filed in April 2024.

The motion argues that Joseph Lawson’s trial should be severed from his co-defendant father, Steve Lawson, so that it preserves Joseph Lawson’s right to an adequate defense.

The filing notes that his father, Steve Lawson, implicated Joseph Lawson during his appearance before a Nelson County grand jury in 2023. He told the grand jury his son, Joseph Lawson was a close associate of Brooks Houck, and that he frequently worked for Houck.

If Steve Lawson’s grand jury testimony is used and Steve Lawson doesn’t take the stand, it would deny Joseph Lawson the right to confront his accuser.

The motion notes that if Joseph Lawson’s trial is not separated from Brooks Houck’s trial, the massive amount of pretrial publicity regarding Houck could have a “spillover” effect, preventing Lawson from receiving a fair trial.

A status hearing involving Steve Lawson and Joseph Lawson is set for 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Nelson Circuit Court Room 1.

Live video from the courtroom is available via Zoom.

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