Nick Houck expected back in court Thursday: What to expect

A possible motion to change venue, an extraordinary evidence list, and the next chapter in the perjury case against Brooks Houck's brother.

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Nick Houck is due back in Nelson Circuit Court on Thursday morning.

It will be his first substantive court appearance since his arraignment- and based on what has already been filed in this case, there is a lot to watch for.

Here's what we know, and what we're anticipating.

Where things stand

Kentucky State Police detectives arrested Nick Houck on June 4th and charged him with Perjury in the First Degree- a Class D felony- for allegedly making a material false statement under oath in an official proceeding. The charge spans a specific window: July 15, 2015 to August 16, 2023.

His attorney is Michael Ferguson. Commonwealth Attorney Kyle Williamson is prosecuting. Judge Charles Simms- the same judge who presided over Brooks Houck's murder trial- is on the bench.

Thursday's hearing is a pre-trial conference. These hearings are workhorses- less dramatic than trial days, but critically important. This is where the machinery of the case gets built. Motions get filed and argued, evidence gets discussed, and the shape of what a trial might look like starts to come into focus.

Watch for: A change of venue motion

One of the most significant things we're anticipating Thursday is a possible motion to change venue.

This would not be surprising. In fact, it would be expected.

Nick Houck is the brother of Brooks Houck- a man convicted of murder in Nelson County just over a year ago in one of the most high-profile trials this region has seen in decades. The Crystal Rogers case has consumed Bardstown for ten years. It has been the subject of national television documentaries, true crime podcasts, and wall-to-wall local coverage. Finding twelve jurors in Nelson County who have no opinion about the Houck family would be a significant challenge.

A change of venue motion argues exactly that- that pretrial publicity has been so extensive that the defendant cannot receive a fair trial in the county where the crime allegedly occurred. Judges take these seriously. If Ferguson files one Thursday, Williamson will have the opportunity to respond, and Judge Simms will ultimately decide whether to move the trial to another county.

It is worth noting that Brooks Houck's defense team also sought a change of venue. That motion was granted, and his trial, along with cases against Steve and Joseph Lawson, were all heard in Bowling Green. Whether the same outcome follows here remains to be seen- but the argument is at least as strong now as it was then, given everything that has happened since.

The evidence list we've already seen

Last week, prosecutors filed the Commonwealth's Response to Discovery and Pre-Trial Order of Compliance- a document that gave us an unprecedented look inside the case they are building against Nick Houck. And it is extensive.

The filing confirmed the three specific grand jury appearances where prosecutors believe Nick lied under oath- where and when. It also dove into the evidence and the witnesses.

You can read my full breakdown here:

What Thursday won't be

It is worth setting expectations here, because pre-trial hearings can look underwhelming from the outside even when they are significant.

Thursday will almost certainly not involve witness testimony. It will not look like a trial. But that's not to say there won't be any dramatic moments- as we've already seen in this case.

What it will be is a map. A hearing where both sides lay out where this case is going, what they intend to argue, and what obstacles stand between here and a trial date. The change of venue question alone could take up significant time on the docket.

But every motion filed, every argument made, every ruling Judge Simms issues on Thursday moves this case forward- and brings us closer to the question that has been hanging over Bardstown for a decade.

What did Nick Houck know? And when did he know it?

A note on coverage

I will be in that courtroom Thursday morning. I will have coverage for you as quickly as I can get it out- on Shay Informed and across social media.

Don't forget- paid subscribers will be the first to hear what happened. My full post-court analysis- and any interviews I'm able to secure- will go to paid subscribers first, before anything else is published. I will also produce and post a 30 minute podcast episode walking through the day.

If you're not already a paid subscriber, today is a good day to change that. You can sign up right now and make sure you don't miss a thing.