Former Kentucky prosecutor facing murder charge gets bond reduction. Trial date set
The former Eastern Kentucky prosecutor charged with murdering his wife had his trial date set and received a bond reduction Thursday, according to a special prosecutor.
Donald Deskins, 49, of Kimber, was indicted Aug. 31 for the murder of his 46-year-old wife, Judith Dean Deskins, and charged with two counts of evidence tampering. Thursday morning, a tentative trial date was set for July 2024. Deskins has requested to represent himself as co-counsel to his attorney, Steve Owens.
Deskins, a former assistant Pike County attorney, also had his bond was also lowered at the hearing, attorneys said. The previous $250,000 bond is now $100,000.
If he were to post the bond, Deskins would be placed on home incarceration, prosecutor Anthony Skeans told the Herald-Leader.
Skeans said he did not object to the bond reduction because $100,000 is a standard bond amount for a murder charge in the Pike County jurisdiction.
Owens could not confirm if Deskins would be able to post bail, but said he is “doing well, considering.”
Judith Deskins’ family was not present in the courtroom Thursday, according to Skeans.
Deskins’ indictment says he caused blunt force trauma to Judith Deskins with the intent to cause her death. The indictment also says he tampered with physical evidence at the residence and on his laptop. Police were called to Donald Deskins’ residence on Meathouse Road in Kimper in April 2021 after he called police and reported his wife was dead inside the home, according to court documents.
Investigators determined foul play was suspected.
If Deskins is permitted to serve as co-counsel, he will have access to discovery and other pleadings. He has served as an attorney since 2001, and his license to practice law is active, according to the Kentucky Bar Association. Deskins is currently being held at the Pike County Detention Center, which his attorney said Deskins has “no concerns about.”
While a trial date has been determined, the defense will work to gather discovery evidence and other pretrial hearings will take place.
