photo by: Dylan Lysen/Lawrence Journal-World
Rontarus Washington Jr. appears in Douglas County District Court on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, with Tricia Bushnell, one of the three attorneys serving as his new counsel. Washington is also being represented by attorneys Melanie Morgan and Josh Dubin.
With new attorneys serving as defense counsel in Rontarus Washington Jr.’s long-running murder case, Judge James McCabria said Tuesday that he was not sure the current trial date for September would hold.
During a hearing in Douglas County District Court, McCabria approved Washington’s new counsel, which includes Kansas-based attorney Melanie Morgan and Josh Dubin and Tricia Bushnell of the Innocence Project. McCabria said he felt comfortable allowing Dubin and others to take over the defense in the case after hearing from Judge Sally Pokorny, who complimented Dubin’s handling of a case in her court.