(Scypre.com) – In a recent legal development, Bryan Kohberger, a 29-year-old facing four charges of first-degree murder and burglary in Idaho, has seen his attempts to dismiss the indictment against him denied.
Kohberger is accused of breaking into an off-campus rental home near the University of Idaho and allegedly killing four students: Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. At the time, Kohberger was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at the neighboring Washington State University.
Kohberger’s defense team filed two motions earlier this year in an effort to halt the trial. One argued that the burden of proof in an indictment should be “beyond a reasonable doubt,” a standard typically reserved for conviction in a jury trial. However, Judge John Judge disagreed, stating that, based on legal precedent and Idaho Criminal Rules, the standard of proof for a grand jury to indict is “probable cause,” a significantly lower threshold.
The judge’s decision, issued in October and made public on Friday, rejected the defense’s claim, stating, “The arguments from the defense for a ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ standard for the grand jury were historically interesting and creative, but do not overturn Idaho courts’ interpretation of the statute.”
The second motion, which alleged juror bias, prosecutorial misconduct, and other flaws in the grand jury process, was considered behind closed doors to protect the grand jury’s secrecy. The judge denied this effort as well, stating that Kohberger had failed to challenge the indictment on grounds of juror bias, lack of sufficient admissible evidence, or prosecutorial misconduct.
The judge emphasized that Kohberger was indicted by an impartial grand jury with enough admissible evidence to establish probable cause.
Kohberger’s trial, originally scheduled for October, faced delays as he waived his right to speedy proceedings and focused on challenging the indictment and DNA evidence. While a new trial date is not immediately clear, the recent dismissal of his motions to dismiss could pave the way for the trial to proceed.
If convicted, Bryan Kohberger could face the death penalty, adding a heightened level of gravity to this ongoing legal saga. As the case progresses, many are closely watching to see how this tragedy will unfold in the courtroom.