On Thursday, Judge Thomas Parker pushed back an indicted Shelby County Commissioner’s trial date by two months.
Edmund Ford Jr.’s trial was initially slated for January 2026. Instead, the judge approved his attorneys’ request for a continuance, which was rescheduled for March 2, 2026.
Ford entered a not guilty plea to all seven counts of the indictment, which accused him of trying to avoid taxes and accepting bribes and kickbacks from federal money. Ford may spend up to 40 years behind bars if found guilty of all the charges.
An “extensive” amount of information is cited in the application filed by Ford’s lawyers to request a continuance. The attorneys stated that they want additional time to examine contracts, county procedures, and updated tax returns. Prosecutors did not object, according to Ford’s lawyers.
