Well, this is completely effed. Sorry, but… Why does this work this way??
OK, rewind a few days. On Friday Bryan Kohberger had a hearing in which his legal team asked to delay the trial — on the basis of alleged “irregularities” in the grand jury process. The judge denied the motion, saying they could have their hearing to dismiss the indictment on September 1 — but the trial would begin as scheduled, on October 2.
With that date, it was expected to be done by November 17 — a year, almost to the day, after the crime he’s accused of, the murders of four University of Idaho students at their off-campus housing on November 13, 2022. Instead the loved ones of victims Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin will now have to wait far, far longer.
Related: Kohberger Doesn’t Have A Real Alibi After All??
Per the Idaho Statesman, public defender Anne Taylor was able to request another hearing for Wednesday, and we guess she pulled a rabbit out of her hat. Because assuming their entire goal is to delay the trial (gosh, why does that sound familiar??), they figured it out. Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial. You know, that thing in the Sixth Amendment? Right to speedy and public trial by an impartial jury? Yeah, apparently you can waive that right — and somehow that means your trial gets delayed?
Watching Kohberger tell the judge he’s ready to waive his right (below):
We’re really scratching our heads at this one. We mean, sure, it’s his right to have a speedy trial, meaning he can’t just be jailed indefinitely without a trial. But what about the rest of us? Why does him waiving his right automatically mean he gets to delay if that’s what he wanted all along? What about justice? What about the victims and their families? Don’t they have rights? Doesn’t a speedy trial serve the public interest as well as just this one guy? In a case this disturbing on such a national level, you’d think the court system would make room for the trial to be fast-tracked. Instead…
Ugh.
No new trial date was set. So we now have no idea how long it will take to actually get the momentum back, but the family of one victim — who have been watching much closer than us, even attending court hearings — seem to think it will take years now.
F**king YEARS.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Goncalves family wrote:
“We are afraid he is going to waive his rights to a speedy trial. If he does, trial will not be starting on Oct 2nd and it is very likely that it won’t take place for years. We want to get this trial over. Just thinking it could be years absolutely kills me.”
Oh man. Our hearts are shattered for these poor people. To be kept in this limbo for so long, not knowing for sure that the person who took away their daughter will be convicted. That little piece of solace just ripped away from them when it was so close to being within reach… We can’t imagine.
What do YOU think of this shocking turn of events??
[Image via Law&Crime/NewsNation/YouTube/Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram.]
