Judge grants murder defendant’s request to meet with attorneys outside home

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The man charged with killing two others at Roosters will be allowed to meet with his attorneys outside his home.

A judge approved Karson Reitz’s ability to visit their office.

Reitz is on home incarceration after posting bond awaiting his double murder trial.

His attorneys have been forced to come to court to get approval to bring Reitz to their office.

They successfully argued that the restriction violates the Constitution.

“I do not see where the court has the authority to grant an attorney release,” Prosecutor Milja Zgonjanin said.

She argued the Commonwealth Attorney’s office has never kept Reitz’s attorneys from meeting with him. She said they’ve had plenty of access.

“The Commonwealth is not restricting access to Mr. Reitz,” Zgonjanin said. “The Commonwealth is not holding Mr. Reitz in a locked up room and not allowing his attorneys any contact with him.”

Defense attorney Steve Romines said Jefferson County attorneys routinely get releases for their clients on home incarceration to see their lawyers. He said restricting that runs afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

“To restrict a defendant’s right to consultation with counsel is a clear sixth amendment violation and not granting releases to do that is a violation,” Romines said.

Reitz is charged with murdering Michael Miller and Bradley Cross at the Roosters on Preston Highway before Christmas in 2021. He’s pleaded not guilty, and his attorney claimed self-defense. Circuit Court Judge Sarah Clay approved the attorney releases over the prosecutors’ objection.

“I’m not going to force defense counsel to bring their entire case file to his house and I know what goes into prepping for trials as the Commonwealth does,” Clay said.

Reitz’s trial is set to start in November.

WAVE News also learned Roosters had two additional camera angles that captured the scene that night.

Police only saved some of the footage from a limited number of cameras.

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