Former SLHS coach sex abuse trial rescheduled

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·2 min read

Jun. 29—The trial for a former South Laurel High School girls basketball coach has taken another delay.

Jonathan Lee Walker, 35, of Hazard, was scheduled for jury trial on June 29. However, a motion to reset the trial date from defense attorney Conrad Cessna was approved by Laurel Circuit Judge Michael O. Caperton on June 23. The court document states that the trial would be rescheduled "due to conflict of schedule."

The order issued from Caperton states the trial will be set for Aug. 30 and Aug. 31.

Walker was indicted by a Laurel grand jury in February 2019 on a charge of first-degree sexual abuse. The incident took place on Nov. 2, 2018, and involved a 16-year-old. While Kentucky law differs in penalties and charges for offenses against minors under the age of 12 and under the age of 16, Walker was charged with first-degree sexual abuse because he was "a person in a position of authority or position of special trust."

Walker did begin a jury trial in December, but in the second day of the hearing, the trial was deemed a mistrial due to one of the jurors being acquainted with one of the witnesses in the case. The juror informed the court of that situation and the prosecution and defense attorneys agreed to the mistrial after conferring with Judge Caperton.

Walker's case has taken several delays. After the mistrial was declared, he was set for another jury trial on Jan. 31. That trial date was later reset with the most recent trial date set for June 29. In May, Walker's bond was reduced to $5,000 surety bond — a significant reduction from the $50,000 cash originally imposed by the court at the time of his indictment.

The investigation into the claims against Walker were made in November, following the incident. Walker resigned his position as coach immediately after the claims came to light.