The man convicted of killing a Wichita physician who performed abortions will face a new jury this fall. Scott Roeder admitted to shooting Dr. George Tiller in 2009. A jury will be tasked with deciding the length of Roeder's prison term before he is eligible for parole.
The trial to resentence Scott Roeder is set to begin Nov. 28 in Sedgwick County District Court in Wichita. A motions hearing is scheduled for Sept. 21.
At that time, a judge may rule on limiting the amount of evidence that can be presented by Roeder’s attorney during the sentencing trial. Roeder's original sentence was life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years. It was among many sentences vacated after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that juries--not judges--must decide whether to increase punishment.
Jurors will decide in whether to resentence Roeder to a Hard 50 or to give him a lesser sentence of 25 years before being eligible for parole.
--
Carla Eckels is assistant news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.
To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.