Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor’s office said June 25 it has not decided whether a former sheriff’s deputy will stand trial a third time on a murder charge.
Favor’s announcement came several hours after The Dispatch first reported that former Franklin County deputy Jason Meade’s attorneys had said in a court filing that Meade would stand trial a third time. Meade faces a murder charge in connection with the Dec. 4, 2020, shooting of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr.
In May, a jury convicted Meade on a lesser charge of reckless homicide, but became the second jury unable to reach a unanimous decision on the murder count. A jury in February 2024 also deadlocked.
Favor said that while her office had not yet decided how to handle the pending murder charge, her office would now handle the case internally.
Special prosecutors Tim Merkle and Gary Shroyer led the case starting in 2021 at then-county Prosecutor Gary Tyack’s request. Because the prosecutor’s office represents county agencies – including the sheriff’s office – in civil lawsuits, trying the case internally would pose a conflict of interest, Tyack said at the time.
In a statement, Favor said that First Assistant Prosecutor Bob Krapenc would handle Meade’s case moving forward.
“Having experience as both a former defense attorney and prosecutor, Mr. Krapenc has a strong record in handling complex cases, and I have full confidence in his leadership and our team’s ability to deliver justice,” Favor said.
Meade is scheduled for a bond hearing on June 30. He has remained in the Franklin County jail since his May 7 conviction, awaiting sentencing.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young initially set Meade’s sentencing for June 16, but because prosecutors hadn’t reached a decision about a third murder trial, Young moved the hearing to June 30.
Meade’s attorneys asked Young to convert the June 30 sentencing into a bond hearing because of an impending third murder trial. The court docket reflects that the hearing is now classified as a bond hearing.
Favor’s office said Krapenc would be handling the June 30 hearing.
Prosecutors can retry a case as many times as they wish until all the charges in an indictment have been resolved.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jason Meade third trial decision hasn’t been made, prosecutor says
Reporting by Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
