FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The five-day trial slated to begin next week has been canceled for the group of men accused of beating a Black man at a bar near Fort Wayne.
A new trial date is expected to be set Tuesday.
It was less than a month ago that Allen Superior Judge Fran Gull denied a requested delay in the trial. But last week, one of the six defendants pleaded guilty to his role in last year’s beating, prompting a newly filed motion by the defense that cites needing more time to complete discovery before the trial begins for the remaining five men.
The defendants are Justin Wert, Vard Warnock, Jerrad Impton, Ryan Minick, Christopher Yoho and Douglas Zuber. The six men are accused in the violent beating of James Simmons III at Pikes Pub just outside Fort Wayne city limits on May 30, 2025. A video of the attack went viral on social media, showing several white men in Outlaw gear attacking Simmons, with racial slurs heard in the background…