By Marty Trese, KnoxPages.com Editor
MOUNT VERNON – Knox County Prosecutor Chip McConville confirms that the attorney representing the man accused in the shooting death of a Danville police officer has filed a motion for change of venue. That means Attorney William Mooney wants the jury trial for Herschel Jones to take place outside of Knox County because of extensive pre-trial publicity. Mooney has filed some 39 motions in the case which all need to be reviewed. According to court records this morning, the trial date is set for November 1st, 2016. Once jury selection is underway, Judge Otho Eyster will rule on the change of venue request. If the request is granted, the county will have to pick up the tab for the additional expenses of trying a case elsewhere.
Herschel Jones – jail photo
When Officer Thomas Cottrell was gunned down in the parking lot of the DPD last January the story was covered by KnoxPages.com, other local news outlets (online, newspaper and radio) as well as regional and national media. Jones was indicted by the Knox County Grand Jury and charged with Aggravated Murder, with a firearm specification in the death of Cottrell.
Jones has been housed in the Morrow County jail. It is customary for a suspect charged in the homicide of a police officer to be housed outside the county in which the alleged murder took place.
To read the list of motions filed by Mooney visit this link.
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