Former Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy Jason Meade will be released on bond as county prosecutors weigh retrying him on one count of murder.
Judge David Young decided to reinstate Meade's bond despite a jury finding him guilty of reckless homicide for fatally shooting Casey Goodson Jr. in 2020. Young declared a mistrial for a second time on a murder charge after the jury couldn't come to an unanimous verdict.
Meade's first trial also ended in a mistrial in 2024.
Since May, the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office has weighed a decision on whether to retry Meade for a third time. Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor chose to remove special prosecutors Gary Schroyer and Tim Merkle.
Defense attorney Kaitlyn Stephens argued existing case law shows Meade shouldn't be sentenced for reckless homicide until the murder charge is dropped or a verdict is given. She said the lack of a decision still has legal weight that favored their position.
"In effect judge, no decision is a decision in and of itself," Stephens said.
When asked, Assistant County Prosecutor Robert Krapenc told Young his office still hasn't decided whether to retry Meade. Favor was there herself on Tuesday alongside Krapenc.
"At this time, your honor, we are in discussions, but we have not resolved the case, therefore it still remains pending and in front of us," Krapenc said.
If a third trial happens, it may look a lot different than the last two. Aside from the change in prosecutors, Young also decided to recuse himself from the case, whether or not it goes to a third trial. He did not give a reason.
The decision on who to replace Young with would fall to administrative judges in the court.
Defense attorney Mark Collins told reporters a new judge will be assigned at random. The new judge will decide all future issues and motions in the case.
"You will know before we will," Collins said to reporters.
Court records Tuesday afternoon show Judge Julie Lynch has been assigned to the case.
Much of Meade's and Goodson's families and supporters were also present in the courtroom.
Columbus NAACP President Sean Walton, who represents Goodson's family in civil litigation, told reporters after the hearing the family still wants Meade convicted of murder, but understood this decision.
"(Meade) should be jail, but at the same time, our ultimate goal is for him to be held accountable for murdering Casey. And so the family is certainly willing to defer the satisfaction of seeing him behind bars until after the next trial," Walton said.
Collins said his team will likely file several motions as they have before in this case, including motions to dismiss the case, change the venue to outside of Franklin County and to limit some evidence in the case.
Meade is one of several law enforcement officials in Franklin County who have been put on trial in recent years. Former Columbus Police Officer Adam Coy was found guilty of murder for fatally shooting Andre Hill in 2020, while former Blendon Township Police Officer Connor Grubb was found not guilty of murder and other charges for fatally shooting Ta'Kiya Young in 2023.
