By Vanessa E. Curry

Kerry Max Cook’s civil suit against the City of Tyler and a handful of individuals is scheduled to begin Oct. 19, 2026 in a Tyler federal court, a judge ruled Friday.

The former death row inmate, who was declared innocent of the 1977 murder of Linda Jo Edwards, has requested a jury trial.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the Courtroom #1 of the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Texas, according to the order signed by District Judge Jeremy Kernodle.

Cook is seeking an unspecified amout in damages for wrongful conviction. He claims law enforcement officers conspired to frame him. He is being represented by the Chicago Law Firm of Loevy & Loevy.

Smith County and other law enforcement officials, including former Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith, were dismissed as defenants in a separate ruling earlier this year.

Former lead investigator Eddie Clark, Gerald Hayden, Erik Liptak, and Marvin T. McLeroy remain as defendants.

Vanessa E. Curry is a former newspaper reporter who has covered the Cook case for more than 30 years. She recounts her coverage in her book “Lies and Consequences: Covering the Trials of Kerry Max Cook.” (available for purchase on Amazon.com)