Idaho college murders suspect Bryan Kohberger could stand trial in summer 2024 as prosecutors request new dates

Idaho prosecutors have requested the trial of murder suspect Bryan Kohberger charged with killing four college students begin next summer, to avoid coinciding with dates when local high school and college classes are in session. In a new court filing the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney's Office asked the judge to schedule a jury trial to run for about six weeks, including the sentencing phase, during the summer of 2024.

The document, filed Thursday in Idaho district court, explicitly sought trial dates outside of the regular academic calendar and said that "Moscow High School is directly adjacent to the courthouse premises and already the significantly increased amount of media and other vehicles related to this case has strained available parking as well as safety and convenience for pedestrians, including students." 

Prosecutors also suggested in the filing that a summer trial would likely mean more availability of local accommodations, since "it is not infrequent for area lodging to become unavailable due to university-related activities such as sporting events, graduation, etc." when universities are in session. They asked the judge to set a daily trial schedule running from 8:30 a.m. to around 3 p.m. to allow jurors time to manage their personal affairs during what is expected to be a relatively lengthy commitment.