Carly Q. Romalino
The family of David Compton
sits in court during a hearing for James Stuart, a Deptford police officer
charged with fatally shooting Compton in January 2013, at the Gloucester County
Justice Complex on Monday, March 24, 2014. / Denise Henhoeffer/Courier-Post
Gloucester County prosecutors
have 30 days to turn over medical records and other documents to the defense
team of a Deptford police officer charged with a friend’s murder.
James Stuart, 30, pleaded not
guilty in November to first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and other
related charges in the January 2013 killing of David Compton, 27, of Woodbury.
Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton
requested the time to transcribe documents and redact parts of Compton’s
thousand-page medical history.
Results of other lab tests —
including ballistics — have been turned over to Stuart’s attorney, John
Eastlack, Anton said Monday.
Early on the morning of Jan. 5,
2013, Compton was shot in the head at the police officer’s Stamford Avenue home
in Deptford.
Stuart called the police
department to report Compton was “shot in the cheek” when Stuart’s revolver
“went off,” according to authorities.
Compton died at a hospital six
days later.
Deptford police suspended
Stuart without pay.
The officer’s attorney
requested an internal affairs investigation of the incident that is ongoing,
Anton said.
The next hearing is April 28.