ORLANDO, Fla. – The five remaining defendants charged in the hazing death of a Florida A&M drum major are headed for trial.
Judge Renee Roche set a June 24 trial date during a pre-trial conference on Tuesday. She also cleared the following week for what State Attorney Jeff Ashton said he doesn’t believe will be a lengthy trial. He expects one of the five remaining defendants to reach a plea deal before trial.
Ashton said the prosecution could present its case in as little as a week, with the state expecting to call around 20 witnesses.
“Our witness list will be pared down a lot,” Ashton said.
But defense attorneys for remaining defendants Benjamin McNamee, Aaron Golson, Dante Martin, Darryl Cearnel and Jarrod Deas said the logistics of trying them all together will likely cause the trial to take longer.