Charles Merritt Case Management Conference
Attorneys for Charles Merritt who is charged with four counts of capital murder, have asked for a trial date at least seven months away. The attorneys are about to begin a lengthy corruption trial; Merritt's trial, they say, must follow it.
Brittany Pilkington Status Conference
Pilkington faces three counts of murder for killing her infant children over a two-year period in Logan County, Ohio. She is accused of murdering a 3-month-old in July 2014, a 4-year-old in April 2015 and a 3-month-old in August 2015. She originally faced a March 16, 2016 trial but it has been moved to 2017. In August, 2016, her husband who is 20 years her senior pled guilty to felony sexual battery charges for sex acts with Brittany when she was underage. Husband and wife are now in the same jail (at least as of Sept. 2016). Brittany confessed to the crimes and said she killed the boys because their father favored boys over girls. The couple has a daughter.
Kathleen Kane Sentencing
Former Pennsylvania Attorney General will be sentenced today. She was convicted of several counts (including felonies) on August 15, 2016. The convictions are for perjury, obstruction and related counts for leaking grand jury information to the media in order to embarrass an opponent, and then lying about it. She is the first woman and the first Democrat elected to that office. Kane was stripped of her law license before trial but stayed in office until August 17, 2016. She served about two years of her first term.
Michael Slager Trial
Jury selection begins today in the trial of former Charleston, SC police officer Michael Slager who is accused of murder in the shooting death of Walter Scott. A bystander recorded the shooting; it's clear that Scott was running away after a routine traffic stop. At the time Slager said Scott had grabbed his Taser though that claim is not certain.
Angelika Graswald
The judge should issue the long-awaited decision on the admissibility of Graswald's statements to the police, including the videotaped interrogation. A trial date should also be set.
Dylann Roof–Charleston, SC Church Shooting Federal Trial Begins
Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in the federal capital case against Dylann Roof, accused of shooting nine people in a South Carolina church on June 17, 2015. Roof who is white killed nine African-Americans who had invited him to pray with them in their church. Roof is also facing the death penalty in the state murder case scheduled for January 2017.
Robert Durst Arraignment
Robert Durst will finally be arraigned today on murder charges stemming from the December 2000 shooting of his close friend Susan Berman in Beverly Hills, CA. The arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. PT at the Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles.