Jury Selection Date Set for Charleston Church Shooting Suspect Case

A federal judge says jurors will be picked this fall in the trial of a white man accused of killing nine members of a historic black Charleston, South Carolina, church.

Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel on Tuesday set Nov. 7 as the day to begin selecting jurors for the federal trial of Dylann Roof. His trial could start about two weeks later.

Roof faces numerous federal counts, including hate crimes, in the June 17 shootings at Emanuel AME Church. He attended Tuesday’s hearing.

Defense attorneys and federal prosecutors said they felt they had enough time to prepare their case. The trial is estimated to last up to six weeks.

Roof’s state trial on nine counts of murder charges is scheduled for January. Prosecutors in both jurisdictions are seeking the death penalty.

The anniversary of the shooting at the church often called Mother Emanuel is next week.

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