Attorneys for Crystal Rogers investigation suspect Steven Lawson are asking Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III to delay the start of his trial.
Lawson’s jury trial on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence is set to begin on February 10 in Warren County. In a motion dated January 3, however, Lawson’s attorneys motioned to continue the trial to a later date in order to allow the defense more time to review discovery submitted in the case.
Attorneys Darren Wolff and Zach Buckler state in the motion that they expressed concern with having enough time to review the case files when they were assigned to represent Lawson in August 2024 following the dismissal of Lawson’s previous attorney Ted Lavit. They also state that when they first met with Lawson he had only been shown written discovery and none of the two terabytes of data contained on hard drives submitted by the case’s special prosecutor.
The motion states that access to additional discovery in the case, contained in about 10 terabytes of data, was delayed as the special prosecutor reviewed and removed duplicate data. Lawson’s attorney’s say they believe they have a duty to review the entire 10 terabytes, stating “while this effort will necessarily delay the trial for Mr. Lawson, it ensures that he may receive a fair and full defense in anticipation of trial.”
The matter will be discussed in court during a hearing scheduled for January 9.
Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson, who also face charges in relation to the investigation, are scheduled to go to trial in Warren County on June 24.
