'Big John' case moved from Lowndes County, where courthouse bears his name
HAYNEVILLE — The capital murder trial of William Chase Johnson, charged in the November 2019 shooting death of Lowndes County Sheriff “Big John” Williams, will be moving out of Lowndes County.
Retired Escambia County Circuit Judge Bert Rice granted defense attorneys’ change of venue request in a Wednesday morning hearing. Rice said he will determine which county the case will go to at a later date.
Rice was appointed by the Alabama Supreme Court to preside in the case, after local judges recused themselves.
Johnson, 21, attended the hearing, dressed in blaze orange jail garb and restrained in leg irons, handcuffs and belly chains. He has been held in the Elmore County Jail, under no bond, since his arrest the night of the shooting. That is standard in a capital case.
He did not speak in the hearing, which was held in a courthouse that has since been named for the slain lawman.
The defense argued the naming of the courthouse for Williams and the fact the crime scene is a gas station across the street from the courthouse were factors that should be considered in changing venue.
The courtroom is on the second floor of the courthouse, and Rice acknowledged defense attorney Bill Whatley’s argument about the location of the crime scene, a QV convenience store.
“The court notices it can look right out this window and see the scene of the alleged crime easily,” he said. “It can be seen from the courthouse, a courthouse renamed for the victim.”
Before making his decision, Rice heard arguments from the prosecution as to why change of venue was not necessary.
“It is our position that the trial should be where the crime occurred,” said Deputy Attorney General Kenneth Gibbs. “Change of venue must meet a very heavy burden, and we don’t feel the defense has met that burden.”
Rice said from the bench that he was unaware of any case having similar circumstances as this one.
“The court is not aware of a parallel, in the state or nationally, to this case, where the courthouse where the trial would occur has been named for the deceased victim,” he said. “The potential jurors would have to go through the front door under the sign bearing the name of the deceased.
“And just to the left is a memorial to the deceased, and a large picture of the deceased hanging on the wall.”
Williams, 62, was killed the night of Nov. 23, 2019, while trying to disperse a large crowd in the parking lot of the QV convenience store in Hayneville.
Johnson has entered a plea of not guilty due to mental disease or defect. The defense has not elaborated on what mental disease of defect Johnson may have.
Rice had set a trial date in October in Hayneville. Since change of venue was granted, the date will have to be rescheduled.
Capital murder is the most severe charge the state can file. The only sentencing options in the event of a conviction are life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. The defense has filed a motion seeking that the death penalty be removed from consideration. Rice has not ruled on that request, records reflect.
Williams spent more than 40 years serving his community. He started out as a reserve deputy in 1978 under then-Sheriff John Hulett before spending three years with the Hayneville Police Department, then going back to the sheriff’s office as a “road deputy.” He worked his way up to chief deputy and was elected sheriff in 2010.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: 'Big John' case moved from county where courthouse bears his name
