Family members of those killed and wounded during a 2018 attack on Santa Fe High School southeast of Houston in which 10 people were fatally shot expressed concern Thursday that the already delayed case against the accused gunman could be further held up pending the possible removal of the trial judge.
Reports say the judge is facing allegations of bias and prior legal ties to the defendant. 22-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the accused shooter, has been at a Texas state hospital since December 2019, when he was found mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Pagourtzis has been charged with capital murder in the shooting that left eight students and two teachers dead.
Attorneys representing Pagourtzis have accused Jeth Jones, the judge who has been handling the case since January, of bias and claim he is determined to find experts who will conclude their client is competent to stand trial.
During Thursday's hearing, presiding judge Susan Brown seemed to indicate Pagourtzis' attorneys would likely not prevail on their motion to recuse Jones over his actions regarding competency. But she asked for more information on whether the judge's former law partner did represent Pagourtzis.
Brown made no rulings but indicated she would likely hold another hearing next month.
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