advertisement

Prosecutors want ex-Vols Johnson, Williams tried together

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Prosecutors want to have former Tennessee teammates A.J Johnson and Michael Williams tried together in their pending aggravated rape cases.

Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Leslie Nassios cited the long delay in these cases while saying Friday she will file a motion requesting both men go on trial together. The issue will be debated at a Jan. 10 hearing.

Williams and Johnson were indicted in February 2015. Their cases were separated later that year.

Johnson was a linebacker and Williams a defensive back for Tennessee when a woman told police both men raped her in the early morning hours of Nov. 16, 2014.

A July 16, 2018, trial date was set Friday in this case. A second trial date will be added if the two men aren't tried together.

These cases have been delayed for years over the issue of how attorneys for Johnson and Williams could go about obtaining social media communications of witnesses, including the woman who says the two men raped her.

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals ruled in April that the defense could issue subpoenas to witnesses seeking their social media communications. The state's bid to appeal that ruling was denied by the Tennessee Supreme Court.

___

More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.