One high profile Madison County case is likely headed for trial in November, while an appeal is in the works for another.
Cana Chambers, a former probate office employee who was accused of lifting roughly $30,000 from that office in 2007, is scheduled to have her court date the week of Nov. 3.
“It is likely to be tried,” Northern Judicial Circuit district attorney Bob Lavender said Friday.
Chambers’ case is one of three that are at the top of the calendar that week. The other two are a child molestation case and an aggravated assault case. Lavender said child molestation cases usually take priority.
“So if we can get that one tried, it will go first probably,” he said.
Chambers was arrested July 12, 2007 for the alleged theft of cash and checks from the probate office. She developed as a suspect after police noticed discrepancies between statements made by Chambers and others in the office.
In another case, Lavender is trying to appeal Judge George H. Bryant’s ruling to throw out a statement made by Jason Moon during interrogation by police after Edouard Monrico Barnett was found dead on Bellew Drake Road in Jan. 2007. Moon is charged with the shooting death of Barnett, but has yet to stand trial.
“That case is probably down the road a-ways” Lavender said. “We have to go through the appeal process.”
Moon, who was arrested shortly after Barnett’s body was found, initially confessed to killing Barnett, but later backed away from that statement.
Moon’s trial was to start in April in Madison County, but Bryant granted a change of venue request, when several jurors acknowledged that they’d read about the case in newspaper reports.
Lavender has asked the trial court to reconsider the change of venue, but hasn’t received an answer.
“The judge hasn’t indicated one way or the other at this point,” Lavender said.
