LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Steve Lawson, one of three men charged in the Crystal Rogers murder case, asked a judge for a new attorney Thursday, saying his current lawyer, Ted Lavit, wasn't doing a good job.
Lawson was in front of Nelson County Judge Charles Simms III for what was supposed to be a hearing about whether he wanted to include or exclude statements he made in 2023 police interviews in his trial.
But he raised his hand as the hearing began and asked for a new attorney. And prosecutors responded by saying they "have serious concerns about whether Mr. Lawson has had conflict-free counsel in his representation."
Prosecutor Teresa Young told the judge that, in a Aug. 5 jail phone call, Lawson told his family he had already fired Lavit and that "Lavit had a meeting" with co-defendant Brooks Houck's attorneys behind his back.
"I was surprised yesterday" when Lavit filed a motion in court on Lawson's behalf "because I had assumed that he" would withdraw from the case, Young said in court.
She said there is a "peculiarity" going back to March between Lawson and Houck regarding the similarity of the language and evidence used in the motions filed on behalf of both defendants.
"It defies reason where they would be exactly the same," she said. "I don't know what's going on here."
While Young called it "disturbing" and asked for an investigation into Lavit's representation of Lawson, the judge did not address the request for an investigation.
It is not atypical for the attorneys of co-defendants to work together.
Lavit told the judge that Lawson did not tell him he had any problems or that he wanted a new attorney.
"I have done my best at this point in time without any conflict whatsoever regarding my client," Lavit said. "I believe Mr. Lawson has been aware of what I've been doing on his behalf."
Simms ordered the public defender's office to appoint a new attorney for Lawson by Aug. 22.
Simms said he had no current plans to delay the February trial date for Houck, Lawson or his son Joseph.
"I plan on moving forward so I need to get someone on board who is ready to go," the judge said.
Prosecutors want the three men tried together on Feb. 10, 2025, given they are facing the same charges and allegedly worked with each other in the 2015 disappearance of Rogers.
But defense attorneys have asked for separate trials, with Houck's attorneys arguing Steve Lawson has given about 20 hours of contradictory testimony and information about the case and, unless he testified at a joint trial, Houck would be unable to confront Lawson about the lies.
That issue is now on hold as Steve Lawson waits for a new attorney, who will have to look through thousands of pages of documents and hours of interviews Lawson gave to investigators and a grand jury in the case.
Rogers was last seen with her boyfriend, Houck, during the Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Her car was left running on the side of Bluegrass Parkway with her purse still inside. She's presumed dead, but her body was never found.
Joseph Lawson, 32, pleaded not guilty in September to criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in the Rogers case. He is not charged with Rogers' murder, but prosecutors instead charged him with conspiracy, meaning they believe he was involved in some fashion with whomever killed Rogers.
The maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge is 10-20 years in prison.
In addition, the indictment charges Joseph Lawson with complicity to tampering with physical evidence when he "destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed or altered physical evidence." The maximum penalty for that charge is one to five years in prison.
Steve Lawson, according to a Dec. 6 Nelson County indictment, agreed to "aid one or more persons in the planning or commission" of the death of another and then "destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed" or altered physical evidence on July 3 or July 4, 2015, when Rogers disappeared.
Houck's indictment accused him of "acting alone or in complicity with another" committing the offense of murder of Rogers. He's also charged with tampering when he "destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed or altered" physical evidence, according to the indictment.
This story may be updated.
Related Stories:
- Steve Lawson told confidential informant Brooks Houck had nothing to do with Crystal Rogers' murder
- Judge rejects immunity deal for Steve Lawson, ruling he lied to investigators in Crystal Rogers case
- Defendant in Crystal Rogers' murder case says men were digging at farm days after her disappearance
- Judge questions whether Steve Lawson was truthful with investigators in Crystal Rogers case
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