Oct. trial date set in Jones killing

Ex-cop charged in fatal shooting of Boynton man

Former officer Nouman Raja is scheduled to go to trial Oct. 30 to face charges in the fatal shooting of stranded motorist Corey Jones, a judge decided Tuesday.

Raja will also have to wait until at least May 11 for another hearing to determine whether he must remain on house arrest while awaiting trial for the 2015 shooting in Palm Beach Gardens.

Raja, who was wearing plain clothes and driving an unmarked van, killed Jones during a roadside confrontation at 3:15 a.m. Oct. 18, 2015.

Raja’s attorney Richard Lubin on Tuesday raised concerns that an October trial date was too soon and could put “pressure on the parties to short-circuit work that has to be done.”

Circuit Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer said she could reconsider the trial date at another hearing set for June 20. The prosecution has said it expects the trial to last two weeks, while the defense anticipates month.

“I want to get the case [to trial] as soon as possible,” the judge told both sides Tuesday at a court hearing in West Palm Beach.

Jones’ father, Clinton Jones Sr., said waiting for the trial has been hard on the family and that he opposes lifting Raja’s house arrest.

“We are hurt, but we are still determined to see this through,” Jones said.

Raja faces charges of manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.

The shooting of Corey Jones gained national attention at a time when police shootings across the country raised ongoing concerns about police’s use of force involving young black men.

“Jury selection for this case is going to be a challenge,” Lubin said.

Jones, 31, of Boynton Beach, was waiting for help with his disabled SUV along an Interstate 95 off ramp when he was shot three times by Raja, who at the time was a Palm Beach Gardens officer, according to investigators.

Raja — wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a ballcap and driving an unmarked cargo van used for police surveillance — failed to identify himself as an officer before he shot Jones, who had a gun he was licensed to carry, according to investigators.

Raja has said that he did identify himself as an officer and that he fired because he had been threatened at gunpoint.

But the State Attorney’s Office counters that a recording of a cellphone call Jones made that night to roadside assistance reveals that Raja didn’t identify himself as an officer before opening fire. On the recording, Raja can be heard firing three shots, waiting 10 seconds, then firing three more times, with at least one of those shots fired as Jones ran away, according to the State Attorney’s Office report.

After the shooting, Raja was fired from the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department. The criminal charges were filed in June.

In addition to the criminal case, the Jones family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Raja and the city of Palm Beach Gardens.

An FBI-created animation showing how investigators say the confrontation between Raja and Jones occurred has become one of the early sticking points in the case.

In making the argument that they needed more time to prepare for trial, Raja’s attorneys Tuesday said that they are still seeking more information about how the FBI animation was created.

“We know there is more,” said attorney Scott Richardson, who along with Lubin represents Raja.

All the photos, reports and other information used to create the FBI animation have already been released to the defense, Chief Assistant State Attorney Brian Fernandes told the judge Tuesday.

Raja’s attorneys this month requested that the court lift the house arrest requirement and allow removal of the electronic ankle monitor Raja wears while he awaits trial.

House arrest for Raja “is an unnecessary condition, and serves only one purpose — punishment,” according to the motion filed by Raja’s attorneys. It also says Raja, 39, “has never been a flight risk or a danger to the community.”

Under house arrest, Raja is allowed to drive to work and religious services, take his children to school and camp and make scheduled visits to a gas station, barber shop and doctor.

Feuer on Tuesday told Lubin that the defense had initially agreed to the terms of house arrest and that getting the case to trial as quickly as possible is a way to avoid prolonging it.

Lubin said the request to end Raja’s house arrest while also asking for more time to ready his defense are “completely separate” issues.

“We are not asking ... to speed this case up,” said Lubin, who called the case a major undertaking that “has to be done right.”

After the court hearing Tuesday, Clinton Jones Sr. said it’s disappointing that Raja is pushing to end his house arrest, while not showing remorse for the shooting.

“He feels like he did nothing wrong and it’s sad,” Jones said. “We want to get to some type of normalcy. We haven’t had closure yet.”

Raja