Georgia Supreme Court grants delay in Ryan Duke’s trial

ATLANTA, Georgia (WMGT/41NBC) – The Supreme Court of Georgia has granted a delay for Ryan Duke’s trial.

Duke was arrested and charged with murder for the death of Georgia teacher and beauty queen Tara Grinstead. Grinstead has been missing since 2005.

Jury selection for his trial was scheduled to begin Monday, April 1st.

News outlets report Duke’s attorneys filed an emergency motion Tuesday with the Georgia Supreme Court, saying the trial judge wrongly denied Duke funding to pay for an expert witnesses in DNA, false confessions and psychology.

“With today’s order, the high court has granted a stay of the proceedings in the trial court to consider whether it has jurisdiction to review the substantive appeal being requested,” said Jane Hanson, the Public Information Officer for the Supreme Court of Georgia.

A briefing and oral argument on the appeal that’s been requested is scheduled for May 7th.

Last week, a jury found another man involved in Grinstead’s murder case, Bo Dukes, guilty of making false statements to police, concealing the death of another person and other charges.

Dukes was convicted of hiding and burning Grinstead’s body after her murder in 2005.