Today Chief Assistant State Attorneys Adrienne Ellis and Brian Fernandes and officer Nouman Raja’s attorneys agreed this morning on a trial date against Raja.
The case is set to start February 22nd and is expected to last three weeks including the jury selection time frame.
There is a pool of 200 possible jurors.
According to Palm Beach Post Jones father, Clinton Jones Sr, said today:
“We’re looking forward to this being resolved and over with and getting justice for our son, Corey,” he said. “It’s a long journey, but we’re here for the long haul.”
Last June, Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer refused Raja claim of “Stand Your Ground.” Raja appealed the ruling in the Fourth District Court of Appeal last week and was denied once more.
When Judge Feuer previous denied Raja claim it was under the pretense that she believed Raja “acted unreasonably and not as a prudent person under the circumstances.”
The Fourth District Court of Appeal consists of a three-judge panel. The judges did not give an explanation for denying the appeal.
Rajas' attorney, Richard Lublin, attempted to use the typical excuse by arguing that Raja was in fear of his life for the fact that Jones was a legal CCW holder and had pulled his gun on the officer.
Prosecutors claim Raja escalated the situation because he never identified himself as a law enforcement officer while also not wearing his uniform leading Jones to believe that Raja was there to rob him.
Raja claims that he identified himself as an officer but an audio phone call recording released by the FBI shows that Raja did not identify and gave false testimony of the incident to investigating officers.
Jones’ was driving home on Interstate 95 on Oct. 18, 2015, after a gig his band played, when he pulled his SUV off the side of the exit ramp due to his car breaking down.
At 1:35 in the morning, Jones called his band mate Mathew Huntsberger for help. Not even 10 minutes after that call he calls Florida Highway Patrol. And then after that he calls his insurance company requesting a tow truck.
The phone call requesting the tow truck recorded the shooting and nowhere in the recording did Raja identify himself.
Raja was working undercover that night, assigned to surveillance of large parking lots looking for burglary suspects as there was a recent rise in auto burglaries.
According to records, Raja who has been on the force for 7 years, was told to wear his bullet proof vest with markings on it to identify he is an officer by his supervisor but both the vest and radio were on the vans floorboard as well as his service issued weapon.
Since he did not have his radio he used his cellphone to call 911.
According to Local10:
“(Jones) had a silver handgun in his right hand,” Raja said. “I came out. I saw him come out with a handgun. I gave him commands. I identified myself and he turned, pointed the gun at me and started running. I shot him.”
Jones gun was found laying in the grass with both the chamber empty and safety on.
Three of the six shots from Raja personal gun struck Jones.
Paramedics pronounced Jones dead at 3:32 a.m.
Autopsy reports state the gunshot wound to Jones' chest was what caused his death.
Raja is currently on house arrest and has been since his arrest in June 2016 on charges of manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted murder with a firearm.