CINCINNATI, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- The new judge assigned to the retrial of former Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing might remove himself from the bench due to a potential conflict of interest.
Judge Tom Heekan said Monday that he has a connection to a son of the victim in the case, 43-year-old Sam DuBose, and represented him in an unrelated civil case against the University of Cincinnati.
Heekan said he might recuse himself from the case as early as Tuesday. He was assigned to hear the murder case after the first judge, Megan Shanahan, who removed herself from the retrial -- citing a desire to give the case a "blank slate."
"I find that this court is otherwise disqualified to preside over the retrial," she said.
Tensing, a former University of Cincinnati officer, shot and killed DuBose in July 2015 during a traffic stop. After being unable to produce a driver's license, DuBose was shot by Tensing when he attempted to drive away. The entire incident was captured on DuBose's body camera.
Jurors in the first trial couldn't agree on a verdict and Hamilton County prosecutor Joseph Deters decided last week to retry Tensing on murder or manslaughter charges.
