bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com
In this Nov. 5, 2019, photo, Billy Ray Johnson Jr. is escorted out of Wood County Magistrate Court by Wood County Sheriff’s Department Detective C.P. Nichols following his arraignment before magistrate Jody Purkey. (File Photo)
PARKERSBURG A number of murder trials are pending in Wood County Circuit Court as the COVID-19 pandemic and other concerns continue to impact scheduling.
Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure recently told the Wood County Commission that all three circuit judges had murder trials set in the coming months.
Officials said the courts were going to need larger venues to accommodate a lot of people while maintaining social distancing guidelines and other health concerns during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.