Nation IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Separate Noriega Case Trials Offered
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
A federal judge in Miami offered five co-defendants in the Manuel A. Noriega cocaine smuggling case a chance for separate trials that could begin as early as Jan. 28. U.S. District Judge William M. Hoeveler said the co-defendants’ rights to speedy trials could be jeopardized if they must wait until Noriega’s attorneys are ready to try the case. In an order received by defense and government lawyers Monday, Hoeveler said he would hear motions on whether to hold separate trials at a hearing Jan. 11.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
