LIVE UPDATES: Court hearing underway in Chad Daybell case
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LIVE UPDATES FROM CHAD DAYBELL COURT HEARING
4:17 p.m. Prior says he is fine with having the trial in June 2024. Nothing else in this hearing. Court is adjourned.
4:16 p.m. One of the prosecutors has an event next May, so prosecutors ask if Boyce is considering next year, June would be preferred. Blake says the state is not opposed to having the trial earlier. The months of March, April and May are problematic.
4:14 p.m. Blake has some concerns if the trial is scheduled in the fall as there could be some issues with holidays. Prior says the fall will be problematic for him. Boyce will take the requests under advisement and will set the trial date “fairly soon” after speaking with the attorneys further.
4:12 p.m. Boyce asks Prior when all the DNA will be tested. Prior says it will take 60 days from when he tests it. Prior says it hasn’t been tested yet because he needs to get with Rob Wood to set up parameters.
4:11 p.m. Prior says he’s been working well with prosecutors, and they have offered to put all of the evidence on one hard drive to make it easier for him and his experts.
4:10 p.m. Prior says he predicts the trial will take 10 to 12 weeks, including time to pick the jury, time for prosecutors and defense, and the mitigation phase. Prior asks to hold the trial in May 2024.
4:08 p.m. Boyce asks Prior when he thinks the trial should be held. Prior says he plans to call 7-8 experts to the stand and will need an entire transcript of Lori Daybell’s trial. Prior says he doesn’t want to run into discovery issues and says Chad will need time to go over the entire audio of Lori’s trial.
4:07 p.m. Blake says if the jury questionnaire process is the same at Lori’s, the trial could go into nine weeks. Also, acting in the mitigation/death penalty phase, nine weeks would be safer.
4:04 p.m. Boyce asks defense attorneys and prosecutors for input on when Chad’s trial should be scheduled. Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake says the trial will take eight weeks and will defer to the court on schedule but Blake asks to keep witness schedules and holidays in mind.
4:02 p.m. We see Chad on the big screen in the courtroom. He is dressed in a white shirt and tie.
4 p.m. This hearing is being held in the same courtroom with Judge Boyce. Court personnel are working on getting the Zoom feed from the Fremont County Jail.
3:53 p.m. Jim Archibald and John Prior have swapped seats. Archibald watching the proceedings from the audience and Prior is setting up at the defense table. Waiting on Judge Boyce to enter the courtroom. Lori Daybell is not here. She was taken from the courtroom back to the Ada County Jail.
3:43 p.m. A status conference is being held in Chad Daybell’s case. John Prior, his attorney, and prosecutors are in the Ada County Courthouse. Chad will join via Zoom from the Fremont County Jail. I will post live updates as the hearing begins.
