TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Hundreds of jurors filed into the Leon County Courthouse Wednesday for questioning.
Typically, jury selection is a quicker process, but Page Briggs, Patrick Berrane, Stanley West, David Howard, and Vicki Strickland are all defendants in this trial, each with their own attorney able to ask questions, along with two state attorneys.
During jury selection, prospective jurors learned that Britteny Guthrie and Jesse Fox would take the stand as witnesses. Both have also been accused of helping to kill Birge.
Once the jury is chosen, trial will begin, and is expected to last about five days, but could go longer.
As of 4:00 p.m., 10 jurors have been chosen, 4 men and 6 women. The hope is that the last two jurors and possibly two alternates will be chosen.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Jury selection is underway for the trial of five suspects charged in the death of Hoyt Birge last May.
David Howard, Patrick Berrane, Stanley West, Page Briggs, and Vicki Strickland will all stand trial for murder.
In court last week, each of the suspects received a plea offer from the state, and all but Briggs rejected it.
Briggs asked for more time to consider the offer.
Hoyt Birge's mother was at the hearing, and said hearing their rejections made her sick.
Two other suspects, Jesse Fox and Britteny Guthrie, have case management hearings soon. The 8th suspect, Paige Vowell, has already been sentenced to life in prison.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Trial is set to begin next week for several suspects charged in connection to the death of Hoyt Birge.
His body was found in the trunk of a car at the U Club Apartments in May of 2017.
Five of the eight suspects accused of killing Birge had pre-trial hearings Thursday morning.
David Howard, Patrick Berrane, Stanley West, Page Briggs, and Vicki Strickland were all set to appear in court; however, Strickland had her attendance waived.
Her attorney was in court and says he is indeed still ready to proceed with trial.
Howard, Berrane, West, and Briggs all received plea offers from the state saying they could serve 50 years in the state prison system and testify truthfully if called upon as a witness.
Three of them, Howard, Berrane, and West, rejected the plea offer while Briggs asked for more time to consider it and talk it over with his attorney who was unable to be present at Thursday's hearing, due to another case.
Vicki Strickland also received a plea offer from the state that would have been less than her co-defendants, however, she also rejected.
Jesse Fox was not at Thursday's pre-trial hearing. He could be called upon as a witness, much like he was for Paige Vowell's trial back in April. Vowell was sentenced to life in prison.
As for the state, they submitted another record from FDLE, stating that several items of evidence that had been tested did have blood and DNA on them.
"Most of the items that have these defendants' DNA present are already items that these defendants have already admitted to possessing, to starting, whatever," said Georgia Cappleman, Assistant State Attorney. "I don't anticipate it changing anyone's trial strategy."
The defense attorneys are expected to meet Friday morning to discuss their plan of action within the trial and cross examination.
The trial is still set to begin Sept. 11.
Jesse Fox is scheduled to have a case management hearing the morning of Sept. 11.
Another suspect, Britteny Guthrie's case management is set for Oct. 2.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Five suspects accused in the May 2017 murder of Hoyt Birge are set to go to trial next Tuesday.
David Howard, Stanley West, Patrick Berrane, Page Briggs, and Vicki Strickland all had pre-trial hearings Thursday morning. Vicki was not present, but her attorney was and says they are ready for trial.
Four of the defendants received a plea offer from the state to serve 50 years in the state prison system and to testify truthfully if called upon as a witness for the trial.
Howard, West, and Berrane rejected that offer. Briggs asked for more time to consider and to talk it over with his attorney, who was not present at the hearing due to another case.
Strickland's attendance had been waived, but she also received a plea offer that would have been less than her co-defendants. Strickland also rejected this offer.
During the hearing, the state submitted a new report from FDLE stating that there was DNA and blood on several items that the defendants already admitted to having. Georgia Cappleman does not anticipate that this report will change anything.
The trial is expected to begin next week, on Sept. 11.
Paige Vowell, another one of the suspects was sentenced to life in prison in April, and Jesse Fox, the last of the eight suspects, were called upon as a witness in Vowell's trial, and could be called as a witness for this one as well.
