Trial was postponed again Monday morning in Christian Circuit Court for 24-year old Dequavion James, one of the two men charged with murder for their alleged roles in the 2016 shooting death of De’Andre Palmer in Oak Grove.
The trial had been scheduled to begin Monday for James, but Louisville defense attorney Ted Shouse told Judge John Atkins by phone that he asked Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling on Thursday to delay it because of another trial this week he had that was also ultimately postponed.
Shouse offered to appear in person Tuesday morning to reschedule and to take any punishment Judge Atkins deemed necessary for his causing of the delay.
While calling the postponement ‘unacceptable,’ Judge Atkins rescheduled the trial on the spot until January 30.
The Commonwealth alleges that on July 16, 2016, James was told by 25-year old Leonardo Miller to shoot Palmer when given a nod. When Miler nodded to James, he pulled the trigger and shot Palmer once. Palmer was then allegedly shot a second time by Miller and Palmer’s body was eventually discarded near Ghost Bridge on Carter Road.
Miller pled guilty last year to murder, robbery and evidence tampering as part of a plea deal that came with a 40 year prison sentence.