Crystal Rogers co-defendants attend court case review in Nelson Circuit Court

NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT

Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 — Two of the co-defendants in the Crystal Rogers case — Steve Lawson and his son, Joseph Lawson — appeared in Nelson Circuit Court Friday afternoon for a status update and to consider several motions.

Prosecutors filed an agreed order with the court noting that they plan to only use Joseph Lawson’s statements to investigators on Oct. 16 and Oct. 23, 2024 in their case against him.

In a statement in support of separating Joseph Lawson’s trial from that of his co-defendants, his attorney again noted that the pre-trial publicity involving co-defendant Brooks Houck is likely to have “an unavoidable bleedover effect” on Joseph Lawson.

Simms asked his attorney to add the legal citations to his motion, so he can review the information later.

ADDITIONAL DISCOVERY. Prosecutor Shane Young told the judge that additional information about the investigation was turned over by the U.S. Attorney’s office. Prosecutors had been advised all the evidence had been turned over, but additional files were discovered and have been turned over to prosecutors.

The filenames were changed at the U.S. Attorney’s office, and now prosecutors now are opening very file to compare it with existing evidence, making sure copies of new evidence will be provided to the defense teams once the file review is complete.

Young told Simms his office will have the file review completed in two weeks.

Prosecutors told Simms that investigator’s searches conducted since the defendants were indicted have not produced new evidence in the case.

FILES TRANSFERRED. Steven Lawson’s defense team confirmed that Lawson’s former attorney, Ted Lavitt of Lebanon, had complied with the judge’s order for him to turn over all of the files Lawson’s new attorneys.

The judge did not set the date for the next status hearing.

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