The latest update from the Casey Shelton trial at the Green County Courthouse, posted on our home page about a half-hour ago, is that the court is in recess for the morning while Shelton and his attorney watch a tape that will be introduced as evidence later today. The delay in proceedings makes an already tight schedule for the trial even more interesting to watch.
Sheltons trial is scheduled for this week in the countys only jury-ready courtroom. There is another jury trial scheduled to begin there next Tuesday. They cant both be going on at the same time.
With jury selection Monday taking a little more time than expected, and with todays delay, its possible that testimony could continue into Saturday. The court still appears to be on course for the case to go to the jury on Saturday, and the jury can deliberate on Sunday if necessary.
But court cant be in session Monday, because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. A request made to the state by Green County Circuit Court Judge James Beer to Madison to get a waiver allowing the trial to continue on Monday if necessary was denied.
If the trial and deliberations arent completed by Sunday, there will be a collision on the schedule between two trials. Our reporter, Brian Gray, likely will have a story for Fridays edition of the Times about how such a conflict would play out.
I cant help but note in this posting that the problem of having only one jury-ready courtroom at the current courthouse is being remedied as we speak, as a new justice center is being constructed on Monroes east side on county-owned property near the jail. Construction is scheduled to be completed in August.
No way itll be done by Tuesday.
UPDATE (Friday, Jan. 16): The jury trial that was scheduled for Tuesday at the Green County Courthouse has been settled out of court, so the courtroom is available if the Shelton trial continues that long. This morning, Friday, has been full of delays, first for a discussion between attorneys about a videotape to be entered into evidence, and then for an equipment problem. Those delays improve the prospects that the proceedings either will go into very late Friday or Saturday before the case would go to the jury.
Sheltons trial is scheduled for this week in the countys only jury-ready courtroom. There is another jury trial scheduled to begin there next Tuesday. They cant both be going on at the same time.
With jury selection Monday taking a little more time than expected, and with todays delay, its possible that testimony could continue into Saturday. The court still appears to be on course for the case to go to the jury on Saturday, and the jury can deliberate on Sunday if necessary.
But court cant be in session Monday, because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. A request made to the state by Green County Circuit Court Judge James Beer to Madison to get a waiver allowing the trial to continue on Monday if necessary was denied.
If the trial and deliberations arent completed by Sunday, there will be a collision on the schedule between two trials. Our reporter, Brian Gray, likely will have a story for Fridays edition of the Times about how such a conflict would play out.
I cant help but note in this posting that the problem of having only one jury-ready courtroom at the current courthouse is being remedied as we speak, as a new justice center is being constructed on Monroes east side on county-owned property near the jail. Construction is scheduled to be completed in August.
No way itll be done by Tuesday.
UPDATE (Friday, Jan. 16): The jury trial that was scheduled for Tuesday at the Green County Courthouse has been settled out of court, so the courtroom is available if the Shelton trial continues that long. This morning, Friday, has been full of delays, first for a discussion between attorneys about a videotape to be entered into evidence, and then for an equipment problem. Those delays improve the prospects that the proceedings either will go into very late Friday or Saturday before the case would go to the jury.
