Ohio Town to Host Death Penalty Trial
Reversing his own ruling in the face of public outrage, an Ohio judge declared Friday that a poor rural county could afford to put an accused murderer on trial for his life.
Judge Jeffrey L. Simmons ruled this month that Vinton County did not have the resources to hold an expensive death penalty trial. So he struck the capital charges against Gregory McKnight and ordered a simpler murder trial instead, with a maximum penalty of life in prison.
But local officials insisted they will find the money to conduct a fair death penalty trial.
Simmons then said his concern had been hypothetical and reinstated the death penalty charges.
McKnight, 25, is accused of kidnapping a college student and shooting her in the head.
His trial is scheduled to start Sept. 23.
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