The trials for the three men charged in the Crystal Rogers investigation are officially moving out of Nelson County.
Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III issued an order Monday to move the trials of Brooks Houck, Steven Lawson, and Joseph Lawson to Warren County.
According to the order, the defense attorneys for Houck and the Lawsons along with the special prosecutors agreed that the jury trial could be conducted in either Christian or Warren counties. Judge Simms noted in the order that Kentucky law states that “the change shall be made to the nearest county to which there is no valid objection.” The Warren County Justice Center is about 102 miles away from Bardstown.
Special Prosecutor Shane Young said during a pre-trial conference in March that the prosecution agreed with the motion to transfer submitted by Houck’s attorneys. The original motion to transfer requested either Boyd or Daviess counties, and the prosecution and defense previously submitted a proposal to Judge Simms to transfer to Christian County but the judge declined it after an on-site visit. Judge Simms said during the March pre-trial conference that the chosen venue needed to be large enough to accommodate members of the public and needed to have a separate entrance for jurors.
Judge Simms is expected to rule soon on the prosecution’s motion to try the three defendants in the same trial. The next pre-trial conference in the case is scheduled for October 25.
