In a very short hearing Wednesday morning, Christian County Circuit Judge John Atkins ruled in favor of an order being tendered for the unsealing of some case documents pertaining to Tremel J. Smith — a Hopkinsville man who, after a two-week trial May of 2016, was sentenced to life without parole for the 2011 murder of Susan James.
Smith is represented by Louisville’s Maureen Sullivan, who, on July 19, appeared before Atkins as part of the Kentucky Supreme Court’s 2017 decision asking for appeal and revocation of Smith’s reported incorrect sentencing.
Another motion remains in play for Smith’s transportation from West Liberty’s Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex to Christian County, for an 8:30 AM, October 25 court date.
The Kentucky Supreme Court reaffirmed Smith’s guilt in its 2016 ruling, noting he was responsible for the murder, kidnapping, first-degree robbery, receiving stolen property and tampering with phyiscal evidence.
However, there was no evidence of a “murder-for-profit” aggravator — something which was impressed at the time of Smith’s original verdict.
