PULASKI COUNTY (WSLS 10) - A judge denied a motion Wednesday to appoint an expert witness in the case of Noah Thomas.
The attorney for Ashley White, the mother of 5-year-old Noah, asked the court to cover $14,000 to hire Mosaic Data Science.
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Mosaic Data Science is a company in Northern Virginia that was to analyze thousands of social media posts in this case.
The company claimed it could identify posters and their locations.
On Wednesday, White's attorney said there are "thousands and thousands of Facebook posts and comments that are threatening and violent."
She said many of them call for White's execution, and she has concerns that people would attempt to be seated as jurors who have no intention of being impartial, but rather want to convict White.
The prosecution argued that this does not justify an expert witness being appointed, and this type of study is premature. The judge ultimately denied the request.
This motion was going along with White's attorney's attempt to get a change of venue, which was filed on Dec. 9.
As of right now, a jury trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 8 in Pulaski County Circuit Court. A hearing to discuss the defense's latest request is scheduled for January 4, 2016.
As we've reported, Noah's body was found in a septic tank near the family's home in Dublin on March 26. The medical examiner determined the boy drowned and hypothermia contributed to his death.
White and Noah's father, Paul Thomas, are accused of leaving their son and infant daughter home alone on March 22. Thomas also is charged with felony child abuse and neglect.