Criminal Defense Attorney Seeks Separate Trial in UT Rape Case
Stephen Ross Johnson, the criminal defense attorney representing University of Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson, filed a motion to have Johnson’s upcoming rape trial separated from that of his former teammate, Michael Williams.
In the filing, Johnson’s attorney claimed that Williams had made out-of-court statements referencing Johnson, and that Johnson should be tried in a separate case entirely in order to ensure that he gets a fair trial.
The filing doesn’t detail the comments made by Williams, but his comments had first been brought into focus during a review of the case evidence in November 2014 when a fellow student-athlete mentioned she had been raped by two football players.
Since then, officials have been gathering evidence for the case. Several of Williams and Johnson’s teammates were interviewed, as well as teammates of the alleged victim. A rape kit examination, emails from UT’s assistant general counsel, Matthew Scroggins III, police squad car videos, a 911 call, and multiple items gathered from Johnson’s apartment the day of the alleged crime are also pieces of evidence that will be used in the trial.
The trial is scheduled to begin August 24 of this year. Both Williams and Johnson face two counts of aggravated rape, and have both pleaded not guilty.
If you are facing criminal charges, the first thing you need to do is find a good lawyer. Don’t just take what the court gives you, the old saying, “You get what you paid for,” rings especially true for criminal cases. Instead, call us and begin working on your defense right away. Every moment counts when it comes to protecting your freedom, and our criminal defense attorneys are some of the best in the state.
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