Defense attorney for man accused of killing HPD officer to remain on the capital case

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ( WHNT ) — A man accused of killing a Huntsville police officer pleaded not guilty to capital murder at a hearing on Tuesday, but another pressing issue in his case was addressed following his arraignment.

Juan Laws is facing a capital murder charge following the shooting death of Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby in March of 2023.

He was indicted for capital murder of a police officer and domestic violence on Friday, August 30, and he also pleaded not guilty to the domestic violence charge at the arraignment Tuesday morning.

Defense Attorney Bruce Gardner filed a motion on August 26 asking to be allowed to withdraw as second chair in the case. Gardner said the motion came after he received a second letter from Laws dismissing him as counsel.

In a handwritten letter filed by Gardner with his motion, Laws said he wrote to Gardner to “inform you on my decision to withdraw for your [Gardner’s] counsel.”

In court on Sept. 3 , Judge Alison Austin ultimately denied attorney Bruce Gardner’s motion to withdraw.

Before the ruling,

Veteran attorney Bruce Gardner says he filed the motion reluctantly because Laws wrote him a letter personally firing him from the case. Laws never explained in the letter why he wanted Gardner off his case.

In arguing for his motion to withdraw, Gardner told the judge he wishes Laws would change his mind because this case is probably the most serious he’s ever been tasked with defending. Gardner said he thought Laws was making a mistake and that he would need a lot of help with his case.

Judge Austin asked Laws if he had anything to say about the motion, but he declined to comment in the courtroom.

Gardner says he thinks Laws’s attempt to remove him from the case was the result of anxiety.

“He’s facing a capital murder charge and probably ultimately looking at a death sentence potentially. And he’s probably getting nervous, he sits there and there’s nothing to do there in that jail cell all day but worry,” Gardner said.

Lead defense attorney Larry Marsili says the state has turned over a large amount of discovery to the defense. Marsili says he’s preparing to sift through it all.

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On March 28, 2023, HPD said that Crumby, along with fellow officer Albert Morin, was shot by Laws when they responded to a shots fired call at the Governors House Apartments. There they located a female victim.

The department said both responding officers were taken to Huntsville Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Crumby died from his injuries, and Morin was later released from the hospital after recovering from his injuries.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) charged 24-year-old Laws with capital murder of a law enforcement officer. That night, he was booked into the Madison County Jail just before 11 p.m.

Laws was facing charges from another incident where he was accused of shooting two people outside of Sammy T’s in January 2022 and was out on bond at the time of Crumby’s death. Madison County Circuit Judge Donna Pate said the capital murder case Laws is facing will be handled before the assault charges.

While Gardner’s motion to withdraw was denied, Marsili said there may be a basis for a mental evaluation and told Judge Austin he would file a motion in the near future.

Laws does not currently have a trial date set.

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