Manslaughter suspect Jaden Johnson is currently set to go to trial on September 22—though whether that will stay the case was the topic of a hearing in Christian Circuit Court Wednesday morning.
Johnson entered the courtroom represented by public defender Eric Bearden, but Judge John Atkins quickly informed the parties involved that private defense attorney H.B. Quinn will be taking over as Johnson’s lawyer. That means Quinn would need more time to learn the facts of the case, which could result in a possible postponement of trial.
Special prosecutor Richie Kemp vehemently objected to a postponement of trial, saying everything is ready to go, and he considers this a delaying tactic.
Bearden says Johnson himself is not wanting a long delay, so they would like to set it for a new date as soon as possible. Judge Atkins insisted that Bearden and Quinn work to not delay this trial, whether that be by Bearden serving as co-counsel or other means, and deferred ruling on the motion to postpone. Atkins also questioned on if a resolution could be reached in this case outside of trial, and both sides seemed confident there could not.
Johnson is charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with a crash on Bill Bryan Boulevard in 2023 that resulted in the death of 34-year-old Adrian Tucker. The Hopkinsville Police Department reported that Johnson had been operating the vehicle at speeds of around 90 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour speed zone.
Tucker had to be extricated from his vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Johnson and two others were also injured in the crash.