A
judge agreed to postpone Kent Booher's federal trial. Both the defense
and government sought the move.
“The parties state that, due to the COVID-19
pandemic, counsel for both parties has been unable to complete a
full investigation and need additional time to prepare for
presentation to a jury,” U.S. District Judge Thomas Varlan said in
the order granting the delay.
The case was set to go to trial on Sept. 15. Varlan
moved it to Dec. 7.
“It appears to the court that the parties require
additional time to prepare adequately for trial, taking into account
the exercise of due diligence by the parties,” the order said. “The
court thus finds that a failure to continue this case would likely
result in a miscarriage of justice.”
Booher is a former attorney who had a law practice in
Roane County before he was disbarred. He's facing charges of
enticement, felony sexual offense against a minor while on a sex
offender registry, sex trafficking of a child and attempted
production of child pornography in federal court.
This isn't Booher's first time being in trouble with
the law. He pleaded guilty in Loudon County Criminal Court on two
counts of statutory rape in 2014. The Tennessee Supreme Court
disbarred him following that conviction.