The attorneys for a man accused in the Holly Bobo case filed a motion Tuesday requesting Shelby County assistant DA Jennifer Nichols be held in contempt for ignoring orders to speed up the case.
Nichols issued the following response Wednesday:
I’ve read the motion, disagree with many of the assertions and will file a written response in due course. Defense counsel failed to mention that one of the other defense attorneys in this case filed a Motion to Vacate my appointment the day after I was appointed. So, step one is to wait for the judge to rule on the Motion to Vacate next month and he either confirms me as the special prosecutor or removes me from the case. Step two, (depending on the judge’s ruling in step one) will include answering defense motions, filing our own motions, engaging in the discovery process and requesting a trial date.
Jason Autry is indicted on charges of especially aggravated kidnapping and first-degree felony murder.
His attorneys argue Autry isn’t getting a trial in a timely manner, so the charges should be dropped.
Click here to see the motion.
In December, Autry’s attorney Fletcher Long said, “I’m at a loss as to why he was even charged, other than some vain hope that if he was pressured and charged he would tell them something that they apparently do not know.”
Bobo was last seen April 13, 2011 at her home in Decatur County. The TBI identified her remains September 8.