BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Two of the three men charged in the death of Crystal Rogers, a Bardstown mother who disappeared over the Fourth of July in 2015, will be back in a Nelson County courtroom on Thursday.
Joseph and Steve Lawson are both charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence.
The father-and-son duo were last in court on Aug. 8, however the hearing ended shortly after it began when Steve Lawson fired his attorney, Ted Lavit, in the courtroom.
He argued Lavit was working with attorneys for the third man charged in Rogers' death, her ex-boyfriend Brooks Houck.
Steve Lawson's new attorney is expected to be at the hearing on Thursday.
Judge Charles Simms has requested Steve Lawson's new attorney be ready for trial, which has been scheduled for sometime in February 2025.
Houck's team of attorneys previously requested at least a year to build his defense at the end of 2023 due to the volumes of evidence in the case.
RELATED: Discovery in Crystal Rogers’ death includes evidence in two other unsolved Bardstown murders
The judge also has yet to decide whether to combine the three trials or make them separate. He's been waiting to hear from Steve Lawson's attorneys whether he will waive "evidentiary protection."
If Steve Lawson does chose to waive those protections, it means the prosecutor can include statements he made during police interviews last year.
Judges very rarely agree to try defendants separately because of the burden it puts on the victim's family to go through multiple trials and the burden on taxpayers who pay for travel expenses to move court personnel to another county.
RELATED: Attorneys, prosecutor in Crystal Rogers case agree to move trial 150 miles away from Bardstown
A ruling on where the trial will be held is also still up in the air. Attorneys previously agreed on holding the trial in Christian County, nearly 150 mils away from Bardstown, but Simms wasn't too impressed with the selection.
Thursday's hearing in the Crystal Rogers case will begin at 1:30 p.m.
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