Trial of US marine accused of killing ladyboy to begin on March 23

joseph-scott-pemberton-mugshot
Pemberton – Laude Murder Trial to Begin March 23, Pemberton Will Take the Stand – www.plnmedia.com

The trial for the murder case against US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton is scheduled to start March 23. Sources say the case will run until October as the prosecution has announced it will line up at least 37 witnesses in the murder of transgender Jennifer Laude.

Both teams have agreed on the dates of the trial and number of witnesses and documentary evidence to the be presented during the pre-trial.

The attorney for Laude and the family say they not only have 37 witnesses to bring forward but that 11 of them are supposed eyewitnesses with nine more being expert witnesses. The family will also bring forward hundreds of pages of documentary evidence to prove Pemberton’s guilt.

Pemberton’s team has set 10 witnesses which include the accused, his mother and US law expert, a military expert and a psychiatrist. The defence team will also put forward a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent, also known to many as NCIS.

Despite waiving his right to appear during the pre-trial conference, Pemberton was present during the pre-trial conference accompanied by at least 10 Americans.

Marilou Laude, sister of the murdered victim, said she is contented with the pace of the case and is awaiting Pemberton’s scheduled testimony on the case – she has said to the press that she hopes justice is served in the death of her sister.

Olongapo City prosecutor Emilie Fe De Los Santos said there will be another pre-trial conference on March 10 before the trial proper – on the case of prior new from the press, lawyers on both sides claim there is no offer on the table of a plea bargain from the defence team.