Federal jury trials delayed in Southwest VA, A.T. murder and Marion cross burning case impacted

Two federal trials in Southwest Virginia are being pushed back due to the ongoing pandemic.

Chief District Judge for the Western District of VA Michael Urbanski issued an order suspending all jury trials at least until March 1, 2021 due to continued concerns of virus spread across the region. One of the cases impacted is a 10 day trial that was scheduled to start Jan. 25 for James Jordan, who’s accused of stabbing a military veteran to death on a portion of the A.T last year in Wythe County.

That trial was to be followed with another one starting Feb. 8 involving James Brown, who’s accused of burning a cross in the yard of the home of a Black Lives Matter protest organizer following a demonstration in Marion in June.