Trial for Cobb dad in hot-car death case delayed until April
Attorneys for the state and Justin Ross Harris are finalizing a request to delay the hot car death trial until April 11.
Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley's office confirmed the postponement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. No reason was given, though delays aren't uncommon in high-profile criminal trials.
The judge seemed determined not to let that happen, telling attorneys at a motions hearing last month that the original Feb. 22 start date was "reasonable and doable."
Harris, a former Home Depot web developer, pleaded not guilty last year to charges including malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children. He's accused of intentionally leaving his 22-month-old son Cooper locked into his car seat inside a hot SUV to die.
The Tuscaloosa native insisted it was an accident but police, struck by his alleged lack of emotion, moved quickly, procuring warrants for his arrest that same night. He’s been held without bond since June 2014.
During last month's motion hearings the defense argued detectives fabricated testimony and conducted illegal searches in their investigation of Harris. The state countered that the defense's claims were the only "material misrepresentations" in this case so far.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
