Trial may be postponed in the assault case of Travis Mayes—the man accused in the shooting of Derrell Bateman—due to COVID-19 exposures.
Mayes appeared virtually in front of Christian Circuit Court Judge John Atkins Tuesday with public defender Doug Moore, who informed the court that due to a positive COVID-19 case in their office, he and his co-counsel may be in quarantine on Monday, when trial was set to begin.
He says although he has tested negative, he’s unsure what a quarantine period will look like or how it will affect the proceedings. Mayes says his right to due process would be affected by any delays due to coronavirus.
Judge Atkins says it’s something all parties have to deal with in this day and age, and set a pretrial hearing for Friday at 11 a.m. to see what health officials advise and set a new trial date if necessary.
Mayes is currently in the Christian County Jail on a charge of first-degree assault. He is alleged to have shot Bateman in the abdomen at the intersection of East Second Street and South Vine Street in February of this year.