“I can’t let this case be drug out any further, we need to get this done,” explained Judge Patrick Simmons in response to a motion for continuance in the case of The State of Texas vs. Lawson Lee Abram.
Abram, along with co-defendants Amber Hope Halford and O’Jarion McClenon, is charged with Capital Murder for his alleged involvement in an incident occurring in March of 2015 that resulted in the death of Teague resident, Douglas Carr Hurst.
Defense Attorney, Steve Keathley, previously filed several motions and addressed each one during the special hearing held on Friday, July 29, 2016.
–1: Ballistic testing results have yet to be returned. Guns confiscated from the crime scene have been sent to the DPS Crime Lab in Austen to determine which gun was used as the murder weapon. According to District Attorney Chris Martin, he was told that reports should be available by August 19th.
–2: Keathley requested the Court to appoint a co-counselor for the trial. He has requested Bob Gage or Val Fulcher. Judge Simmons explained that he would allow co-counsel only for the purpose jury selection; not for the trial itself. He told Keathley to discuss with Gage and Fulcher to find out if either would be interested / willing to assist and they would further discuss the issue at the next status hearing.
–3: Keathley wanted to have a Physical Evidence Review with the DA’s office, to which Chris Martin explained that they could have said meeting following this hearing.
–4: Keathley was concerned of the possibility of the State having offered any co-defendants or witnesses any type of deals. Martin stated that there were no deals with anyone in regard to this particular case at this point in time.
The final issue dealt with the availability of DPS Crime Lab Scientist, Erin Maslon, who performed the forensic tests on all cell phones that were taken into custody. Maslon is pregnant and currently on restricted medical leave. She is scheduled for a C-Section on August 9th and won’t be released to travel for a few weeks post-op. She has plans to be back at work sometime in September.
“I don’t think the phones are the most prominent evidence in Abram’s case, but the results will corroborate,” stated Martin. “They may show more useful in Amber’s case, but I just don’t know because we don’t have the results yet.”
Simmons explained that if Maslon was not having any type of medical complications, he may require her to attend court, regardless.
“At this point, I will not make a decision on continuance,” explained Judge Simmons. “We will discuss this matter again during the status hearing on August 23rd. Hopefully by then we will have the ballistic test results; and we should know how Erin [Maslon] is doing. At that point I will decide if we will keep the August 29th trial date or if I will grant the continuance.”
As of press time, Abram’s trial will remain set for August 29, 2016.
Amber Halford’s trial is scheduled for September 19, 2016; and O’Jarion (O.J.) McClenon’s trial is set for October 31, 2016.
Nicole Schaefer reporting
