Idaho prosecutors have requested the trial of murder suspect Bryan Kohberger charged with killing four college students begin next summer, to avoid coinciding with dates when local high school and college classes are in session. In a new court filing the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney's Office asked the judge to schedule a jury trial to run for about six weeks, including the sentencing phase, during the summer of 2024.
The document, filed Thursday in Idaho district court, explicitly sought trial dates outside of the regular academic calendar and said that "Moscow High School is directly adjacent to the courthouse premises and already the significantly increased amount of media and other vehicles related to this case has strained available parking as well as safety and convenience for pedestrians, including students."
Prosecutors have requested a summer trial for the case of the gruesome stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students. In a filing, they argued that a summer trial would provide more availability of local accommodations due to university-related activities such as sporting events and graduations. They also proposed a daily trial schedule from 8:30 a.m. to around 3 p.m. to allow jurors to manage their personal affairs.
The trial of the accused, who is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary, was originally scheduled to start in October. However, the defendant waived his right to a speedy trial, leading to a delay in the proceedings. The defendant, a graduate student at Washington State University at the time of the killings, was arrested last December and is currently being held in Idaho while awaiting trial.
The accused has maintained his innocence, and a not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf. The Latah County Prosecutor has expressed intentions to seek the death penalty in this case.
In a recent court filing, attorneys have requested a hearing to establish deadlines for the prosecution and defense team in the trial of the accused, Kohberger. The purpose of this hearing is to ensure that both sides have sufficient time to file any outstanding documents before the proposed start date of the trial. This includes completing discovery, finalizing witness lists, preparing jury instructions, and addressing any pre-trial motions, such as a motion related to the death penalty. The prosecution has also requested that Kohberger's defense be denied any further chances to file an alibi notice, stating that the defendant has already been given this opportunity in the past.
Previously, public defenders representing Kohberger objected to the state's initial motion to compel him to provide an alibi for the night of the students' murders. They argued that Kohberger had a habit of taking drives alone, often at night, and that he had taken a drive by himself on the night in question.
According to the probable cause affidavit for Kohberger's arrest, investigators believe that the students were killed between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m. on November 13, 2022. The defense, in their August filing, stated that Kohberger is not claiming to be at a specific location at a specific time during the hours leading up to the incident, as there is no specific witness to confirm his whereabouts during that period.
In October, the defense team representing Kohberger filed a motion to have the grand jury indictment against him dismissed. They argued that there was an error in the jury instructions, as the standard of proof presented to the jury was "probable cause" instead of "beyond a reasonable doubt," which is not the standard in Idaho. However, the judge in the case rejected the motion and stated that probable cause was indeed the standard of proof required for a grand jury indictment. You can read the judge's order denying the motion to dismiss the indictment here.
