The trial of Aaron Dean, charged with the 2019 killing of Atatiana Jefferson, is postponed again due to a defence motion for judge recusal.
A Texas judge has once again delayed the murder trial of a former police officer accused of fatally shooting a Black woman in her Fort Worth home in 2019. The postponement, ordered on Monday by State Administrative Judge George Gallagher, was prompted by a motion to recuse the trial’s presiding judge, District Judge David Hagerman. The hearing on the recusal request will not take place until at least the week after next, pushing back the trial, which was initially set to begin on June 21.
Aaron Dean, the ex-police officer charged with the murder of Atatiana Jefferson, is accused of killing her while responding to a non-emergency call in October 2019. Jefferson was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew when a neighbour called the police to report that the door to her home was open. Dean fired into the house through a window after allegedly perceiving a threat. Jefferson’s death has deeply strained relations between the Fort Worth Police Department and the city’s Black community.
Defence attorneys have claimed that Judge Hagerman has exhibited hostility toward them, describing his behaviour as “increasingly overbearing and rude.” At a hearing in early June, the defence requested a delay due to the illness of lead attorney Jim Lane and the unavailability of a key witness, but Hagerman insisted that the trial proceed on schedule. Despite this, a scheduling conflict led to Monday’s decision to delay the trial further.
Hagerman had previously denied a defence request to move the trial to another county, arguing that media coverage had made it difficult to find an impartial jury. In addition, Hagerman imposed a gag order that prevents both the prosecution and the defence from publicly discussing the case.
Dean’s trial has been repeatedly delayed, with the COVID-19 pandemic being a significant factor in the hold-ups. Earlier this year, Hagerman postponed the trial from May 16 to June 21 due to the health of the defence attorney. However, with the recusal hearing now pushed into the following week, the trial will face yet another delay.
Jefferson’s death and the prolonged legal proceedings have led to heightened tensions in Fort Worth, especially within the local Black community, as they await justice for her killing.
