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Rodricus Crawford: Louisiana; Bulletin: Yet another delay: Arklatex reports that he may not learn how prosecutors intend to proceed until April 26, Arklatex reports. Reporter Nancy Cook. 13 March, 2017.
"A
hearing has been scheduled for the man whose case was sent back to
Caddo District Court after the Louisiana Supreme Court overturned his
conviction and death penalty sentence last November. Rodricus Crawford will be in court April 26 for hearings and arguments regarding a new trial. In
November 2013, a Caddo Parish jury found Crawford guilty of first
degree murder in the February 2012 death of his one-year-old son,
Roderius Lott, and sentenced him to the death penalty. Crawford
spent more than two years on death row before his conviction and
sentence was overturned and the case sent back to Caddo District Court,
but in November 2016 the Louisiana Supreme Court vacated the capital
conviction in Caddo District Court and ordered a new trial. Following
the Supreme Court decision, Crawford was brought back to Caddo District
Court, and was released on $50,000 bond pending a new trial. In
January, Crawford was in court for a hearing, but it was rescheduled
for February. The February date was continued until March to give
prosecutors and investigators more time to study the case. In
light of the Supreme Court decision, Caddo Parish District Attorney
James E. Stewart Sr. ordered a fresh investigation into the case. Stewart
was not district attorney when the Crawford case was investigated, and
the prosecutor of that case has since retired. With a new assistant
district attorney assigned to the case with no prior experience, Stewart
wanted to put a new set of eyes onto evidence and procedures that led
to the original prosecution. But
the March 15 date turned out to be too early, as prosecutors only
received the return of forwarded evidence from the Louisiana Supreme
Court. The evidence was received March 3, giving prosecutors less than
two weeks to study it, ergo the rescheduling until April.
http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/news/local-news/hearing-date-changed/671265070