Phillips Trial is Moved to March

The man accused of murdering Charleston police officer Cassie Johnson has had his trial date pushed back again. Joshua Phillips was indicted last April by a grand jury, and both sides previously agreed to dismiss conspiracy and gun charges while other charges remained. Phillips appeared virtually for a hearing Monday from the South Central Regional Jail and his defense attorneys said they had obtained an expert to conduct a change of venue study a part of the process of moving the trial out of Kanawha County. The expert is expected to conduct social media research and a telephone survey of Kanawha County residents. Judge Jennifer Bailey granted the motion to continue the trial, which had been set for yesterday, until March 28.