photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

David Shane Williams, pictured in February 2020

A former Lawrence police officer who is accused of misusing law enforcement information systems for personal reasons is now seeking a jury trial.

The Journal-World reported in June that David Shane Williams, 33, was hoping to enter a diversion agreement with the Douglas County district attorney’s office. A diversion program could allow Williams to avoid prosecution for his class A misdemeanor charge of official misconduct if he completed it successfully.

However, during a brief hearing by phone Wednesday morning in Douglas County District Court, Williams’ attorney, Michael Riling, requested a jury trial.

It was not immediately clear from court records what happened between June and Wednesday’s hearing for the case to change course, and Riling declined to comment for this article.

Judge Pro Tem James George said that because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the court is still slowly moving back toward holding jury trials. He said one felony jury trial is scheduled per month in October, November and December, but everything else would be set after Jan. 1, 2021.

Williams’ next hearing, to schedule a trial, is set for 9 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2021.

Williams reportedly told detectives that he used his credentials on multiple occasions to access driving records of a woman with whom he’s involved in custody litigation, according to court documents. He was placed on paid administrative leave from the Lawrence Police Department on Nov. 21, 2019, and he resigned three weeks later, on Dec. 12, 2019.