Why was ex-Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Jason Meade's murder trial postponed again?

Decisions about whether to allow bloody earbuds, audio of the defendant's philosophy on using force, other evidence and witnesses have again delayed the murder trial of former Franklin County Sheriff's SWAT deputy Michael Jason Meade.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young issued an order late last week rescheduling the trial’s start date from later this month to Jan. 29 and set a pre-trial hearing for Dec. 11 — both dates more than three years after Meade fatally shot Casey Goodson Jr., 23, on Dec. 4, 2020.

Gary Shroyer, one of two special prosecutors Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack appointed to the case along with Tim Merkle, told The Dispatch both sides needed more time to file motions related to expert witnesses the defense wants to call.

Mark Collins, one of Meade's defense attorneys, declined to comment.

In addition to any disagreement over experts the defense wants to use, the defense and prosecution have already filed motions in recent months disagreeing over whether the prosecution may show certain evidence to the jury.

The defense wants Young to rule that prosecutors may not use the following evidence at trial:

• Testimony that Goodson was wearing Apple AirPods in his ears when he was shot.

• An audio recording of Meade speaking at a Baptist convention in 2018 about his philosophy on using force, during which he talked about how he is justified in throwing the first punch.

• Reports on other times Meade used force as a deputy over the years.

What we know about the shooting

Meade shot Goodson, who had a concealed carry permit, as he was entering a home on the 3900 block of Estates Park, where he lived with his grandmother.

Through his attorneys, Meade has said he saw Goodson waving a gun around while driving and pointing it at Meade and other drivers. Meade, who had just finished an assignment as a member of the U.S. Marshals SOFAST task force when Goodson drove by, said he followed Goodson to the house and repeatedly told Goodson to show his hands. But Meade alleges Goodson turned toward him pointing a gun, and that’s when the deputy says he shot him.

According to an autopsy, Goodson was shot six times, including five times in the back. Goodson’s family has said that Goodson was carrying Subway sandwiches for the family to eat and had put the key into a door that led to the home's kitchen when he was shot.

The bloody earbuds

In September 2022, Goodson's family, through their attorneys, put out a photograph they say shows bloody AirPods that Goodson was wearing when he was shot. The family says police left them behind at the scene.

According to Meade’s defense team, the deputy didn’t know about the earbuds at the time. So, the defense argues, bringing up the earbuds at trial would allow the jury to use hindsight to assess Meade’s decision to use deadly force in killing Goodson, which is prohibited by U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

The prosecution countered in court documents that evidence of Goodson listening to music through his earbuds “raises serious doubts about the defendant’s claim that Goodson turned and pointed a gun at him immediately before he killed him.”

A recording of Jason Meade discussing his beliefs

The defense also wants to exclude from trial an audio recording which The Dispatch reported on shortly after the 2020 shooting. The recording is of Meade speaking to fellow Free Will Baptist Pastors at a conference in 2018.

Meade’s defense team argues that this recording includes Meade discussing his religious beliefs and interpretation of scripture, which cannot be used at trial in Ohio.

“If the audio is admitted, the state will point to Meade’s references to David and Goliath, being willing to ‘throw the first punch,’ and his justification for ‘righteous release’ to portray him as a rogue officer who aggressively hunted Casey Goodson,” the defense argues.

Prosecutors disagree with the defense’s interpretation of Ohio’s rules about this evidence.

“The defendant’s bias against Casey is plainly relevant under the legal parameters," the prosecution argues in its filing. "The defendant’s prior statements about his policing philosophy reveal his belief that he is always justified in preemptively using physical force against suspects.”

More: Video shows dispute between Jason Meade, neighbor over Casey Goodson Jr. shooting

Prior uses of force

In addition to the ear buds and the audio tape, the defense doesn’t want prosecutors to be able to present at trial reports on Meade’s prior uses of force as a deputy with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.

According to Meade’s attorneys, his supervisors found those uses of force were reasonable, and they again point to Ohio’s evidence rules that state evidence about prior acts cannot be used to prove a person’s character.

Prosecutors said in court filings they don’t plan to introduce these reports on force from 2017 through 2020 as evidence in their case, but want to reserve the right to bring them up in rebuttal.

Meade, who took early retirement from the Sheriff's Office in 2021 after 17 years of service, remains out on bond pending trial.

More: Casey Goodson wanted to impact the world, family and friends said at his funeral

Goodson's family is frustrated

Sean Walton, a Columbus attorney who is representing Goodson's mother, Tamala Payne, told The Dispatch that the family is frustrated by all the delays.

“This is pretty standard in terms of procedural delays … (though) every delay with every part of the system has just caused this family more anguish,” Walton said. “We can’t have any further delays. We need swift justice.”

Walton said the delay of Meade's criminal trial has also put on hold the family’s federal civil rights lawsuit against Meade, which is also frustrating for them.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why was ex-deputy Jason Meade's murder trial postponed again?