Trial date delayed for man accused of stabbing wife, UI health care budget official JoEllen Browning
The trial, originally set to begin Oct. 13, will be rescheduled after the COVID-19 pandemic limited opportunities for the defendant to meet with legal counsel, according to court documents filed Friday.
Photo of Roy C. Browning contributed by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
September 18, 2020
The trial and case management conference of Roy Browning — the man accused of killing his wife, UI Health Care budget official JoEllen Browning — will not start in October in Johnson County District Court.
Browning, 67, asked the court to reset dates of the trial because the COVID-19 pandemic and rising cases in Johnson County limited opportunities to go over documents in a confidential setting with his legal counsel.
In the motion, attorney Leon Spies wrote that they’ve had limited time to “review the voluminous discovery materials in this case, and discuss the advisability of filing pretrial motions.”
The trial was previously set to begin Oct. 13. A scheduling phone conference is now set for Friday at 10 a.m. to reschedule the trial date.
JoEllen Browning was found dead in her home on April 5, 2019, & autopsy results showed she died of sharp-forced injuries. Roy Browning was arrested for first-degree murder on Oct. 28, 2019, and has pleaded not guilty and waived his right to a speedy trial.