Trial delay refused for murder suspect on hunger strike
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Virginia judge has refused to delay a trial for a murder suspect who's refused to eat for the past two months.
The Virginian-Pilot reports Circuit Judge Steven Frucci refused Wednesday to delay the trial, which is set to start next Tuesday.
Thirty-year-old Joseph Vincent Merlino III is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend Ellie Tran. Tran died after being attacked and injected with cyanide on Valentine's Day 2017. He began declining meals on April 16.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Assistant Public Defender Richard Clark says Merlino won't be strong enough to get through the trial. He also says hunger strike-related issues have cost the defense time it would've spent preparing for the trial. Frucci says Merlino seems competent and that Merlino's own actions have caused the defense's problems.
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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com