The morning session of pre-trial hearings for Cowley County capital murder suspect Justin Thurber has ended. No major rulings were made, according to a KSOK reporter who attended the proceedings.
Much of the session centered on the constitutionality and legality of the death penalty. It is standard in most capital cases for the defense to make objections to the death penalty.
Judge Jim Pringle will not make a ruling on the issue in open court but the state and Thurber’s defense attorneys will receive written notice of the ruling.
The state has indicated they will seek the death penalty for Thurber should he be convicted.
The afternoon session will center on prior bad acts by the defendant and whether any of the evidence will be admissible once Thurber’s trial begins this summer. The state expects to call 14 witnesses over the next day or two so that Pringle may determine if what they have to say is material to the case.
The defense has made a number of other requests in regard to evidence that will be presented to jurors. Rulings on those motions have not been made.
Thurber is accused of killing Arkansas City’s Jodi Sanderholm early last year. The hearing for Thurber is being held in the Cowley County Courthouse in Winfield.
