LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. -- The trial of the man accused of shooting La Porte County sheriff's deputy Jon Samuelson in an ER has been scheduled.

During a court hearing October 9, a judge confirmed the jury trial of Sharod Grafton will start either February 1 or February 8, 2027. 

A recent change of venue request from the defense was denied; jurors from four different counties "outside of pretrial publicity" are being pursued.

A plea deal previously floated by La Porte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan was not mentioned. The deal would have removed weapons enhancement charges, which would have added a potential 15 to 20 years to Grafton's sentence.