GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Attorneys in the multiple cases against Sean Williams will have two weeks to tell a federal judge how they wish to divide Williams' charges between trials.
Williams appeared before Judge Ronnie Greer in Greeneville Monday. He's facing three counts related to child porn charges and two escape charges.
One of those escape charges is from an alleged escape from the Washington County jail in July and the other is in connection to the month-long manhunt after U.S. Marshals said Williams busted out of a transport van in October.
Judge Greer said in court that he does not want to see three separate trials. He proposed combining the second escape and the child porn charges, assuming prosecutors may want to use the escape as evidence for consciousness of guilt. The first escape would then be tried later. Both prosecutors and the defense appeared to be in favor of that plan, but they will have two weeks to file their final decision.
If Judge Greer's proposal is followed, the trial would likely be on or near to the May 21 date another judge previously set for a trial of the escape charges.
Williams' attorney said that date would likely give him enough time to prepare. He said he has already arranged for a Morristown investigator to testify in the trial, but he is still trying to arrange for a digital forensics expert to review hard drives part of the evidence and to testify.
The defense attorney described the evidence in the case as "voluminous." He said it includes three-to-four-inch binders of documents and about eight hard drives.
Williams appeared in court in a striped jumpsuit with heavy chains on his wrists and waist. Two Marshals stayed by his side during the hearing and escorted him in and out of the courtroom.
