Chris Jones, Jr. looked calm as he came into the courtroom, wearing the county jail’s grey and white striped uniform – his hands and feet shackled.
Jones had said he planned to hire a lawyer, but for now he is represented by the public defender – Liz Murtaugh, who said she had met with him.
The order of business was to schedule a preliminary hearing in which the prosecutor presents evidence to persuade the court that a defendant should, in fact, be tried.
Commonwealth’s attorney Jim Hingely said he had a large number of witnesses prepared to testify, so the judge set March 30th for that hearing – a day when there are no other cases scheduled. Jones is charged with second degree murder, using a firearm while committing a felony, and malicious wounding. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
