Previous video: FSU shooting suspect appears in court
The trial for the Florida State University student charged with the murder of two people and injuring six others in an April campus mass shooting is scheduled for November.
During a case management conference at a Tallahassee courthouse on Wednesday, Second Judicial Circuit Judge Lance Neff announced that jury selection for 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner’s case will commence the week of November 3.
Public defender Peter Mills, representing Ikner, mentioned that additional time is necessary to thoroughly investigate the case, which includes a significant amount of video surveillance and witness testimonies.
“I object to that, judge,” Mills said of the trial schedule. “I am still investigating the case. My client’s entitled to effective assistance of counsel.”
Neff indicated he’s open to hearing out Mills’ concerns, saying, “we can talk about what, what you need” in order to investigate the case.
As far as the prosecution, Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jack Campbell said, “we’ll be ready.”
So far, the defense has not participated in discovery, the process of exchanging information between the parties about evidence and witnesses. But that is expected to change, Ikner’s attorney said.
Ikner faces two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder. He is the stepson of a local sheriff’s deputy, and investigators say he used his stepmother’s former service weapon to carry out the shooting.
Prosecutors in the case intend to seek the death penalty.
Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
