Indiana County President Judge William Martin has ruled on a number of issues in the James Lantz homicide trial.
Lantz is the 27-year-old Commodore man charged in the shooting death of his neighbor, Derrick Davis, outside of Davis’ home on Lovejoy Road in Green Township last June. Police say Davis’ girlfriend went to Lantz’s home after the couple had been arguing, and Lantz went next door and confronted Davis. They fought and Lantz pulled a sawed-off shotgun out of his backpack, firing a single fatal shot that struck Davis in the chest. He told police he had intended to fire into the ground or the air, but panicked when Davis started approaching him. He’s charged with a single count of criminal homicide.
Judge Martin has ordered that a state police ballistics report be submitted before March 23rd, and previously misplaced notes from the prosecution’s forensic pathologist must be provided by March 30th. The judge further stipulates that Dr. Cyril Wecht needs the state police ballistics report in order to complete his report, which will be due by April 27th. He’s granted Lantz’s attorneys the right to file an amended omnibus pretrial motion, which must include any objections to photographic evidence. It’s due April 13th, with a hearing then scheduled for May 16th.
Martin has also entered into the record the fact that Lantz’s attorneys have both represented either Davis or his family in previous court orders, but both assert no conflict of interest.
The judge has scheduled jury selection to begin June 25th.
