Judge Joe D. Clayton of Tyler is expected to preside over a Jan. 14 scheduling conference regarding the Jason Walters murder case, a signal that the stalled proceeding may get back on track.

Clayton is a senior judge from the 241st Judicial District in Smith County. He was appointed on Oct. 11 to oversee the case after 402nd District Judge Jeff Fletcher of Wood County recused himself for reasons unknown to the public. His recusal follows that of Wood County District Attorney Jim Wheeler, who removed himself from the case early in 2018, also for reasons not divulged to the public.

Walters, 45, is charged with murder in the death of Christopher James Griffin, who was 18 when he was shot behind the EZ Mart on Pacific Avenue in Mineola the night of June 15, 2014. Authorities allege that Walters and another man got into an argument inside the store and decided to take their dispute outside. Walters retrieved a gun from his truck before heading to the back of the store, according to police. He later fired the gun, striking Griffin, who was not a party to the original altercation, in the neck, authorities allege.

Walters was indicted on a charge of murder in September 2014. The trial, originally set for August 2015, has faced repeated delays.

Clayton told the Wood County Monitor earlier this month that he expected to bring the defense and prosecution together in January. Prosecuting the case is attorney Thomas Cloudt of the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Walters is represented by Cynthia Kent, a former district judge in Wood County, and Tyler attorney Buck Files.

The fact that a trial has yet to be held more than 4½-years since the alleged crime has been poorly received in some quarters of Mineola. The Ministerial Alliance intends to address the matter during a community prayer gathering scheduled for Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 21, at First Baptist Church.