New trial date set for Texas mom
Andrea Yates
Reuters
Houston (US):The retrial of Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in the family bathtub in June 2001, was postponed for three months on Monday because two defense witnesses were unavailable.Yates, 41, was scheduled for retrial starting on Monday but District Judge Belinda Hill moved it back until June 22. The defense had sought the delay so that two key psychiatric experts would be able to testify for Yates, who has pleaded innocent by reason of insanity.Yates was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for the drownings, which occurred when she was receiving treatment for severe postpartum depression. The conviction was overturned by a Texas appeals court last year because of false testimony by the prosecution's key witness.Prosecutors and defense attorney George Parnham have tried, but failed, to reach a plea bargain to avoid a second trial, which Parnham said would hurt Yates' fragile mental health.
Mar 20, 2006
Andrea Yates
Reuters
Houston (US):The retrial of Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in the family bathtub in June 2001, was postponed for three months on Monday because two defense witnesses were unavailable.Yates, 41, was scheduled for retrial starting on Monday but District Judge Belinda Hill moved it back until June 22. The defense had sought the delay so that two key psychiatric experts would be able to testify for Yates, who has pleaded innocent by reason of insanity.Yates was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for the drownings, which occurred when she was receiving treatment for severe postpartum depression. The conviction was overturned by a Texas appeals court last year because of false testimony by the prosecution's key witness.Prosecutors and defense attorney George Parnham have tried, but failed, to reach a plea bargain to avoid a second trial, which Parnham said would hurt Yates' fragile mental health.
Mar 20, 2006
