COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Columbus Division of Police Officer Adam Coy was found guilty earlier this week on three charges, including murder.
While he isn't the first officer to be charged, he is the first to be found guilty.
This trial was four years in the making.
As we wait to hear what Coy's sentence will look like, we are getting a better idea of how much his trial may cost taxpayers.
On Monday, Coy was found guilty of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault. Those charges stemmed from a shooting on Dec. 22, 2020, where he fatally shot Andre Hill.
The Franklin County Prosecutor's office hired expert Seth Stoughton to testify during the trial. He also was an expert in the trial against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
He told jurors in Franklin County that he charges $325 an hour for his services.
Through a public records request, 10TV learned the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office signed a contract with Stoughton on April 4, 2021, for his expert analysis.
Between that day and Oct. 31, 2024, the Franklin County Prosecutor's office paid him $19,421.
He has not submitted his bill yet for the month of November, which includes his travel and time to testify.
“Court witnesses are a key part of a trial. I think the litigators ought to have free reign to get the best experts they can,” said attorney Mark Weaver.
Weaver argues prosecutors and defense attorneys not only have a right, but a responsibility to make sure they hire experts who they think can best explain the information and evidence to jurors to get a fair trial.
“The job of an expert witness is to help the jury understand the evidence. I have no quarrel with either side hiring the best experts possible in the hopes the jury gets the best information possible,” Weaver said.
This is the second case in Franklin County where prosecutors have hired Stoughton.
He was also an expert in the murder trial of former Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy Jason Meade.
As of Feb. 14, the prosecutor's office had paid Stoughton $10,587.50.
That trial ended in a hung jury.
Stoughton is expected to testify again when Meade is re-tried in February 2025.
Coy will be sentenced on Nov. 25.