Nick Houck pleads not guilty at Nelson County court appearance after perjury arrest
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Nick Houck pleaded not guilty to felony perjury at his Nelson Circuit Court arraignment.
- Houck was booked on a $25,000 bond and later released after posting it.
- A July 2 hearing was set and prosecutors sought to extend the indictment to Aug. 16, 2023.
Nick Houck, the brother of a Bardstown man convicted for the murder of Crystal Rogers, pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony perjury at an arraignment in Nelson Circuit Court Thursday.
Houck was arrested June 4 after being indicted on first-degree perjury the day before. He was booked into jail on a $25,000 bond but released sometime later after posting bond.
Houck appeared at his arraignment alongside several of his family members. His attorney was not present because they wanted to review the case before agreeing to take it, Houck told Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III during the hearing.
Simms decided to arraign Houck anyway with the help of a public defender during the hearing. The public defender waived formal arraignment proceedings, Houck pleaded not guilty and a pre-trial hearing was scheduled for July 2.
Houck exited the courthouse without making a statement. There is no attorney listed in Houck’s online court file.
What’s in Nick Houck’s perjury indictment?
The indictment says “between the dates of July 15th, 2015, and April 16th, 2023, in Nelson County, Kentucky, the above named defendant committed the offense of Perjury in the First Degree when he made a material false statement, which he did not believe, in an official proceeding, while under oath required or authorized by law.”
Prosecutors have filed a motion to change the indictment to say Houck allegedly committed perjury between July 15th, 2015 and Aug. 16th 2023. Simms III said he would address the motion at the hearing July 2.
A felony perjury conviction carries a penalty of one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The indictment did not specify what Houck said that was allegedly false. It is unclear if the charge is related to the disappearance and presumed death of Crystal Rogers, a missing Kentucky mother whose case was under investigation for about a decade before Houck’s brother, Brooks Houck, was found guilty of murder — accomplice or principal — and evidence tampering.
Brooks Houck was Rogers’ former boyfriend and believed to be the last person to see her alive. Rogers’ body has never been found.
Brooks Houck’s murder conviction appeal
Brooks Houck has appealed his conviction to the Kentucky Supreme Court. His lawyers argue that prosecutors proved neither that Rogers died nor that Houck was involved in her disappearance.
Steven Lawson, 51, and his son Joseph Lawson, 34, were also convicted by a jury for conspiracy to commit murder and evidence tampering.
Brooks Houck is incarcerated at the Green River Correctional Complex, according to Kentucky Department of Corrections records. Steven Lawson is incarcerated at the Lee Adjustment Center and Joseph Lawson is incarcerated at the Little Sandy Correctional Complex.
Throughout the three men’s trials, special prosecutor Shane Young continuously pointed the finger at Nick and Rosemary Houck, and alleged they helped Brooks Houck murder and cover up Rogers’ death and disappearance. Neither faced charges at the time.
Rosemary Houck is the mother of Nick and Brooks Houck.
