TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A third judge has been assigned to the case of a former Oklahoma volunteer deputy charged with second-degree manslaughter after he fatally shot an unarmed man.
Court records show the case involving former Tulsa County Sheriff's Office reserve deputy Robert Bates was transferred to District Judge Bill Musseman.
No specific reason was listed for the transfer, and the one-page order only lists a section of the judicial code that cites many reasons why a judge can step down.
Judge Sharon Holmes withdrew from the case on Monday, and did so privately after meeting with prosecutors and defense attorneys. Earlier, Judge James Caputo recused after prosecutors raised concerns about his close ties to the sheriff's office.
Bates has pleaded not guilty and goes to trial in February.