Jury Selection Postponed in Kaufman County Murder Trials

Jury selection in the trial of a former Kaufman County Justice of the Peace accused of slaying three people in Kaufman County last year has been put on hold.

Jury selection was supposed to start in June with a late October start for the trial, but has been postponed by six weeks.

Eric Williams' defense team filed a last-minute motion for continuance asking that jury selection be delayed until 2015, but Judge Mike Snipes wanted to keep the case moving.

Williams' defense and prosecutor agreed that the discovery process has been slow due to the technical and forensic analysis of the evidence in the case.

While Williams' defense wanted more time, Snipes granted the continuance but would only allow six weeks.

"One motion for continuance has already been granted in this case, and the court recognizes that both sides getting a fair trial in this case, the defendant as well as the state, is the paramount concern for me when evaluating this motion for continuance," said Snipes. "However there are other considerations as well, including closure for the alledged victims in this case, their families and the communities as well."

Jury selection will start Sept. 22 and the trial is expected to start Dec.1.

Kim and Eric Williams have both been indicted on capital murder charges for their alleged involvement in the shooting deaths of Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse and District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia McLelland.

Hasse was gunned down walking near the courthouse in January 2013; McLelland and his wife were killed inside their home about two months later.

Eric Williams will be tried first in Rockwall for the murders of Hasse and the McLellands following a decision by a Kaufman County judge to attempt to give him a more fair trial.

Williams’ wife, Kim, has also been charged with capital murder in all three incidents, but no trial date has been set for her.

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