With jury selection now weeks away, a Hamilton County judge made it clear she is out of patience with delays in the case of Rodney Hinton Jr., who is accused of intentionally driving into and killing retired deputy Larry Henderson. The warning followed a last-minute switch by the defense over its chosen expert witness, but as of now Hinton is still set to stand trial in April.
Judge presses defense to name new expert
At a hearing Thursday, Judge Jody Luebbers sharply criticized defense attorney Clyde Bennett for the late change and gave the defense one week to lock in a new mental health expert. "I do not, I'll say it one more time, I do not want to continue this trial," she said, according to WLWT. Bennett told the court he decided "yesterday" not to use the doctor he had previously been working with. Prosecutor Kate Burroughs warned that the last-second switch could leave the state with too little time to review any new reports.
Trial date and mental health fight shaping the case
Hinton's trial is scheduled to begin April 6, 2026, after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed that evaluations from multiple psychiatrists raise the issue of a qualifying serious mental illness that would make him ineligible for the death penalty. As a result, prosecutors now say they will seek life without parole if he is convicted, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. That shift has pushed expert reports, competency questions and the possibility of a not guilty by reason of insanity plea to the center of the pretrial battle.
Prosecutors' account of the timeline
Prosecutors say the chain of events began on May 2, 2025, after Hinton and family members watched body-camera video that showed Cincinnati police fatally shooting his 18-year-old son, Ryan, the previous day. They allege Hinton later returned to Clifton and accelerated his car into Deputy Henderson as the deputy was directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati, according to reporting that lays out the timing and the intersection at issue. WCPO has detailed the sequence and locations, and the AP reported that the officer who shot Ryan was not criminally charged.
Evidence fights head to jury
Defense attorneys are asking Judge Luebbers to keep autopsy photos and crime scene images of Deputy Henderson away from jurors, arguing they would be overly prejudicial. Prosecutors, meanwhile, have requested a jury view so potential jurors can see the traffic layout where the crash occurred, according to WLWT. Luebbers told the lawyers she needs to know soon whether the defense will pursue an insanity plea, calling it a "game changer" for scheduling and what evidence will be allowed. Those motions are slated to be argued at a pretrial hearing next month.
What to watch in April
Jurors will likely be asked to balance prosecutors' claims about Hinton's intent against a barrage of psychiatric testimony about his mental state, with experts positioned to dominate both sides' cases. With prosecutors no longer seeking a death sentence after agreeing that a serious mental illness issue is in play, a conviction would likely result in life without parole, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Testimony about the body-camera footage, competing expert reports and the physical crash scene is expected to anchor the trial when a jury is finally seated.
The court's next pretrial session will determine whether the defense meets the one-week deadline to name a new expert and whether the April schedule holds. This story will be updated as the judge rules on the outstanding motions and firm trial dates.
