BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - A hearing for a former Birmingham police officer facing arson charges has been rescheduled, and the case has stretched on because of complex, exhaustive evidence that attorneys must review.
Jason Arnold faces four counts of second-degree arson for his alleged role in setting a series of fire in abandoned buildings throughout western Birmingham.
A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Monday morning before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Clyde Jones, but the hearing was re-set to Jan. 13 at 9 a.m.
Arnold's attorneys Brett Bloomston and Joe Basgier anticipated that Arnold would be indicted on new charges, but nothing was filed Monday.
At a co-defendant's change of plea hearing in October, Deputy Jefferson County District Attorney John Geer had told the judge that other cases involving Arnold were being brought before a grand jury.
The "highly technical" discovery and evidence involved, including GPS technology, have prolonged the case and prevented it from going to trial sooner, Basgier said after the hearing. He added that Arnold has maintained his innocence since he was charged.
"Jason Arnold is adamant that he is innocent," Basgier said. "At the end of the day we had a rogue police officer named Curtis Thornton who practically tried to burn the city down."
Arnold, Thornton - also a former police officer - and a homeless man named Anthony Weaver were charged in the fires.
In July, Thornton was convicted of six counts of second-degree arson from fires in Ensley and Warrior, and he was sentenced to 100 years in prison.
In October, Weaver, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree arson, one count of conspiracy to commit second-degree arson and one count of third-degree burglary. The arson charges against Weaver are in connection with a fire at an abandoned house at 2929 Avenue W. He allegedly conspired with Arnold in that fire.
Weaver earlier this year filed a federal lawsuit against Arnold and Thornton, claiming that he burned down seven to 10 houses at the direction of Arnold in May 2012. Weaver claims Arnold told him he and other officers were responsible for burning down one structure. He states that Arnold threatened him if he didn't comply with his request to burn down houses.