BARDSTOWN, Ky. — During a Feb. 27 status hearing, Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms stressed the importance of staying on schedule for Steven Lawson’s May 27 trial date.
"I'm trying every which way I can to get this case to a conclusion," Simms said.
Lawson is one of the three men charged in Crystal Rogers’ 2015 disappearance. She is presumed dead, though her body has never been found.
Lawson’s son, Joseph Lawson and Rogers’ boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, Brooks Houck, have also been charged and face a joint trial in June. Steven Lawson will be tried separately and faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence.
In Nelson County Court, defense attorney Zach Buckler cautioned Simms that Steven Lawson is still reviewing the prosecution’s "discovery" materials.
“Mr. Lawson, as of August 2024, had not reviewed the two-terabyte discovery," Buckler said in court. "It appeared it had not been provided at that time, so we certainly have concerns about where Mr. Lawson is as it relates to his appraisal and comprehension of the discovery."
To keep Lawson on pace for a May trial, Simms offered Lawson space at the Nelson County Circuit Court to review any necessary materials leading up to trial.
“I can have him brought up here to the courthouse, and we can make things available where he can review whatever he needs to every day between now and the trial date, if that’s what it takes to be ready,” Simms said.
Simms said he’s willing to make a "special accommodation" if the prosecution and Lawson’s attorneys can agree on what that may be.
Last year, Steven Lawson fired his attorneys and a new legal team was appointed last August. His February trial was subsequently pushed back three months.
During Thursday's hearing, all parties agreed to schedule an additional status hearing Thursday, April 3 in Nelson County Circuit Court.
