Citing a mix of personal and professional obligations, attorney Francis McQ. Lawrence requested that his client George Huguely, the former UVA lacrosse player charged with the murder of fellow student Yeardley Love, not appear before a jury until February. Ultimately, Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Edward Hogshire set a February 6 trial date for the case, which has attracted national attention since Huguely’s arrest last May.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Dave Chapman told Hogshire that prosecution "would strongly prefer a date in the fall."
"We’re almost exactly one year out from the offense date," said Chapman, who told Hogshire that proceedings could take less than two weeks.
Lawrence countered that investigations into Love’s death were ongoing, and that counsel for Huguely could need 90 days to prepare for the trial, and cited schedule conflicts in the fall. Ultimately, Hogshire scheduled two weeks for the trial, with an additional day on November 7 for attorneys to discuss any additional motions.
Lawrence said that his client will waive his right to a speedy trial, which requires that the accused shall go to trial no later than five months after a court finds probable cause to move a case to trial. In Huguely’s case, that decision concluded a nine-hour preliminary hearing last week. Read C-VILLE’s coverage here.