One of three men charged in connection with the disappearance and presumed murder of a Kentucky mom in 2015 fired his attorney at a hearing on Thursday, reportedly because he found out the attorney met with a co-defendant’s attorneys behind his back.
Steve Lawson appeared before Nelson County Judge Charles Simms III for a hearing on whether to exclude at trial statements he made during police interviews in 2023, WDRB reported.
As the hearing got underway, Lawson raised his hand and asked for a new attorney. Prosecutor Teresa Young responded that her office has “serious concerns about whether Mr. Lawson has had conflict-free counsel in his respresentation.”
Young explained that Lawson told family in a August 5 phone call that he had already fired Tad Lavit after he “had a meeting” with attorneys for Brooks Houck without his consent.
Houck was Rogers’ boyfriend when she disappeared around July 4, 2015, after having been last seen at his home, as CrimeOnline reported. Her car was found running on the side of Bluegrass Parkway with her purse still inside. Her body was not been found.
Last year, authorities charged Houck, a prominent and wealthy local businessman, along with Steve Lawson and his son, Joseph Lawson, in connection with her murder.
The Lawsons are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence. Houck remains jailed on a $10 million bond, charged with murder and tampering with evidence.
Young told the court on Thursday she had been surprised when Lavit filed a motion on Lawson’s behalf, saying she had assumed he would withdraw, according to WDRB. She added that prosecutors had noticed a “peculiarity” as far back as March in the similarity of motions and evidence used on behalf of both Steve Lawson and Houck.
“It defies reason where they would be exactly the same,” she said, asking for an investigation into Lavit’s representation of Lawson. “I don’t know what’s going on here.”
Simms did not address the request for an investigation, but ordered the public defender’s office to appoint a new attorney by August 22.
Lavit, for his part, told the court that Lawson had not mentioned to him he was unaware Lawson had any problems with his work.
“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 told everyone involved that he had no plans to delay the scheduled February trial date for all three defendants, who are to be tried together. Defense attorneys, however, want the cases severed.
It’s unclear, however, if the trial or trials will start in February since Lawson’s new attorney will have to go over thousands of pages of documents and hours of interviews.
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[Featured image: Crystal Rogers/Handout]
