Former Columbus police officer Ricky Anderson’s criminal trial in the 2022 shooting death of Donovan Lewis is once again on hold, if his attorneys get their way. Defense lawyers filed a motion on Saturday asking for yet another continuance of the trial, this time citing scheduling conflicts that could shove the case even deeper into 2026. The shooting, and the body-camera footage released in its aftermath, has kept steady pressure on prosecutors and city leaders to resolve both the criminal case and a separate civil lawsuit.
According to NBC4, the motion filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court argues that the defense team cannot be ready because they are preparing for jury selection in the Meade prosecution, which they say is scheduled to resume next month. The filing leans on that calendar conflict as the main reason for another postponement, and court records show this is the eighth continuance the defense has sought in the case.
Indictment and charges
Anderson was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury in August 2023 on one count of murder and one count of reckless homicide, according to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors say the charges came after an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and a review by special prosecutors appointed to handle the matter.
Body-worn camera video released after the shooting shows Anderson firing his weapon within about a second of opening a bedroom door. The footage also suggests officers waited roughly a minute before calling for paramedics and did not render medical aid for several minutes, according to The Washington Post. The Franklin County coroner later determined that Lewis died within minutes of being shot.
Defense cites Meade trial conflict
In their latest filing, Anderson’s attorneys tell the court that the Meade case calendar makes it impossible for them to be ready to start trial on time in the Anderson matter. They ask the judge to select a new date that can accommodate both trials, according to NBC4. The motion does not propose a specific new start date, instead asking for additional time for trial preparation.
Legal posture
While the criminal charges against Anderson remain pending, Lewis’ family is also pursuing a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city, creating two parallel legal tracks that could affect trial timing and what evidence becomes public when, according to reporting from WOSU. As the case moves forward, judges will have to balance the defense’s scheduling arguments against the public interest in getting the criminal trial in front of a jury without further delay.
Next up, a judge will take up the new continuance request at an upcoming hearing and decide whether to push the trial date yet again. Any additional delay will prolong the wait for a criminal resolution for the Lewis family and extend public scrutiny of Columbus police practices.
