Woodrow Karey Given Stay by Supreme Court

Woodrow Karey, the man accused of killing Pastor Ronald Harris in front of his entire congregation, was to go to trial on the 12th of this month, but that won't be happening since Karey was granted a stay by the Louisiana Supreme Court.

It seems that most of the delay is being caused by an argument over just how Karey should be charged in the case. Right now, there is a motion asking the Supreme Court to determine whether Karey can be tried on manslaughter or second-degree murder charges is still pending.

You may recall that Karey was originally indicted on a charge of manslaughter, but the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney's Office brought the case back to a second grand jury. The second grand jury indicted Karey on a charge of second-degree murder.

Judge Clayton Davis threw out the second-degree murder charge after the defense claimed they had an agreement with the prosecution under which they would provide defense witnesses for the first grand jury.

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals, however, reinstated the second-degree murder charge. The defense has the Supreme Court to overturn the Third Circuit's opinion.