HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The attorney for Huntsville police officer William Darby is asking the court to reschedule a hearing on whether Darby’s murder case should be thrown out.
Darby’s attorney, Robert Tuten, filed the motion Friday to move next week’s motion hearing because he is working out of town on another case.
Darby is charged with the murder of Jeffrey Parker at Parker’s home last April. Darby was cleared by a police review board, but the Madison County District Attorney’s Office took the shooting to a grand jury that indicted Darby on a murder charge.
Tuten is representing Florence attorney Chip Dillard in a human trafficking case underway in Lauderdale County Circuit Court. In his motion to continue Darby’s hearing, Tuten said the human trafficking trial is not expected to end before Darby’s scheduled Feb. 28 motion hearing.
Darby claims the shooting was self-defense, and the Feb. 28 hearing was scheduled for him to make his case that the charges against him should be dismissed.
Darby’s murder trial is scheduled for April 8.