BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Chad Daybell is in court Tuesday afternoon as both sides prepare for the upcoming capital trial that is expected to run for eight weeks.
At issue before Judge Boyce, the same Judge who oversaw the trial of Chad's wife Lori Vallow Daybell, are several key issues. Nate Eaton of East Idaho News reports that Chad and his lawyers are requesting that cameras be allowed in the court room. Unlike Lori's trial which was limited to a single sketch artist and reporters live-tweeting from an overflow room.
Judge Boyce says that trial evidence is scheduled for April 1, 2024. In discussions between the state and the defense teams, Judge Boyce noted that he anticipates the trial running for an estimated eight weeks, not including two weeks of jury selection. Unlike Lori's trial which was not a death penalty case, Chad's trial is a capital case and he does face the death penalty. Jury selection is expected to be more rigorous, and will include a lengthy questionnaire for perspective jurors, hence the longer timeframes involved.
Nate Eaton reports that Judge Boyce intends to begin holding at least once a month hearings to address motions. The first hearing is scheduled for November 29.
One point of contention that arose near the end of the hearing came as the State expressed their frustration that the main basis of the severance was Defense Attorney John Prior saying that he was going to pursue additional DNA testing, the key reason Judge Boyce granted severing Lori and Chad's trials into two separate trials. Prior no longer plans to do the testing, and neither does the state, who apparently are satisfied with the amount of DNA testing that has already been done.
CBS2 will continue to update this story as more motions are filed and hearings scheduled in the lead up to the trial of Chad Daybell. Listen to the Gem State podcast, The Trials of Chad and Lori Daybell here.
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