The first open-court proceeding in the murder case of the Rev. Dr. Terry Greer has been set.

Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Shelly Watkins has scheduled a preliminary hearing for March 21, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Preliminary hearings are held to determine a number of procedural matters, such as whether a defendant will waive his grand jury rights and proceed to trial. It also covers certain details such as evidence.

Greer is charged with the murder of his wife and the attempted murder of his daughter, as a result of the January 10 shooting incident at the parsonage of Gardendale-Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church, where Greer was the pastor at the time.