Gary Hilton - Cheryl Dunlap murder TRIAL

if they grant this request, i'll be slamming my head against my desk.

after 3 years, all the motions, etc., etc.

The judge also denied a request to completely seal four defense motions, including one to forbid the condition of Dunlap's body and the murder of the Georgia hiker Hilton confessed to killing in 2008 from being used by the state to show aggravating circumstances during sentencing.



http://www.tallahassee.com/article/...080317/Hilton-judge-to-try-to-seat-local-jury

stormsailor said:

The judge also denied a request to completely seal four defense motions, including one to forbid the condition of Dunlap's body and the murder of the Georgia hiker Hilton confessed to killing in 2008 from being used by the state to show aggravating circumstances during sentencing.



http://www.tallahassee.com/article/...080317/Hilton-judge-to-try-to-seat-local-jury

Click to expand...

Seems to me, it is what it is. After killing, mutilating & other unspeakable acts, do not come crying to the court about evidence that is prejudicial. Our justice system already bends over backward in favor of the accused.

Hi Glenn. Hi Climbergirl. I found my way...I'm here. Let's get this show on the road.
Sounds like maybe the judge has a good handle on all of this.

Judge denied request for another pretrial hearing to hear two late-filed defense motions. "We will see you all on Jan. 31." Hearing done

http://www.tallahassee.com/article/.../UPDATE-Final-pretrial-hearing-in-Hilton-case


i like this judge, 1/31/11 at long last a trial for the accused in the death of cheryl dunlap

Todays TV update:

UPDATED January 20, 2011 5pm by Julie Montanaro

Accused killer Gary Michael Hilton is now counting the days until trial and prosecutors want to crack open his medical files before opening day.

"Gary Hilton"

Accused killer Gary Hilton raised his right hand and answered a series of questions from the judge.

"Do you understand that?"

"Yes."

"And do you agree to that?"

"Yes."

It was a rare chance to hear Hilton speak for himself in hearings that are now nearly three years running. This may be Hilton's last appearance in court before attorneys start choosing a jury to weigh the evidence against him in the 2007 kidnapping and murder of Cheryl Dunlap.

"Fulton County Sheriff's Office from an arrest on July 31st, 1974," defense attorney Robert Friedman began to read from a list of Hilton's previous arrests.

Hilton's attorneys asked the judge to halt a request from prosecutors to look at Hilton's medical files dating back to 1974.

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/H...es_for_Kidnapping_Murder_Trial_114277639.html

You should be able to read the whole story at the website....It makes me so mad...

Cheryl Dunlap was my friend.....and this monster ended her life in the most horrible way....I hope he gets the Death Penalty!!!!

Rest In Peace...Cherly Dunlap and Meredith Emerson

Today's update:

Attorneys for accused killer Gary Michael Hilton have asked the judge to ban all cameras from the courtroom during the trial.

In a motion filed Monday, defense attorneys’ content that cameras in the courtroom will disrupt and affect the council effectiveness. They further content that cameras will possibly intimidate potential jurors and will impact Hilton ability to get a fair trial. At a minimum, attorneys are asking the judge restrict cameras in the courtroom. The judge has yet to rule on the motion. Hilton trial begins Monday, Jan. 31.

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/H...es_for_Kidnapping_Murder_Trial_114277639.html

Less than a week until the is tried......Yeah!!!

if nothing else, i hope that all list of evidence, witnesses, etc. are published along with testimony. this disease needs sunlight, a fair trial, and a quick execution of sentence.

Here is some old info:

UPDATED 1.7.2011 6:30pm by Julie Montanaro

Jury summons have gone out for the upcoming trial of accused killer Gary Michael Hilton.

Attorneys continue to do battle over how much those jurors will eventually see and hear in court.

Today, they argued for hours over a bayonet.

Gary Michael Hilton is set to stand trial January 31st. The judge has asked for 220 potential jurors to report that week and summons are already in the mail.

"The tool in question was a bayonet style knife," said FDLE Firearms Analyst Jeff Foggy.

Hilton's attorneys are hoping those jurors never see the bayonet in question - a bayonet like this one.

Prosecutors contend Hilton used one to slash a tire on victim Cheryl Dunlap's car and have forensic tests to prove it.

FDLE's Jeff Foggy did the lab work on that.

"And were you able to make an identification based on those microscopic imperfections?" asked prosecutor Georgia Cappleman.

"Yes, ma'am," Foggy replied.

But defense attorneys called an expert who says unlike dna, there are no scientifically objective standards to prove a particular bayonet was responsible for the mark only that a particular *type* of bayonet may have been used.

"And it's very difficult, because you get marks in tires," toolmark expert Dr. Adina Schwartz testified. "You don't know, you don't know what tool made it. You don't know what pressure. You don't know what angle of attack."

Judge James Hankinson reserved judgement, saying he'll review stacks of rulings and studies before deciding if the bayonet will be admissible in this court come time for Gary Hilton's trial.

Hilton's attorneys also asked the judge to send out questionnaires to all prospective jurors in hopes of speeding up jury selection.

Late this afternoon, the judge denied that motion, saying he feared that could make it even tougher to choose a jury because people might be tempted to study up on the case or try to come up with ways to get out of it.

http://www.wctv.tv/floridanews/headlines/Jurors_in_Hilton_Trial_to_be_113041224.html

More old info:

[UPDATE] 1-7 11:00AM -- by Julie Montanaro

The defense is calling experts to the stand to try to have a bayonet declared inadmissible as evidence. The state contends Hilton used the bayonet to slash a tire on victim Cheryl Dunlap's car. Dr. Adina Schwartz testified that there are no objective scientific standards that will allow forensic scientists to prove that a "particular" tool was used to leave a mark, only that "that type" of tool was used.

Stay with WCTV.tv for updates.

http://www.wctv.tv/floridanews/headlines/Jurors_in_Hilton_Trial_to_be_113041224.html

I missed this earlier on the TV website.....sorry!

Mustang Sally said:

More old info:

[UPDATE] 1-7 11:00AM -- by Julie Montanaro

The defense is calling experts to the stand to try to have a bayonet declared inadmissible as evidence. The state contends Hilton used the bayonet to slash a tire on victim Cheryl Dunlap's car. Dr. Adina Schwartz testified that there are no objective scientific standards that will allow forensic scientists to prove that a "particular" tool was used to leave a mark, only that "that type" of tool was used.

Stay with WCTV.tv for updates.

http://www.wctv.tv/floridanews/headlines/Jurors_in_Hilton_Trial_to_be_113041224.html

I missed this earlier on the TV website.....sorry!

Click to expand...

Mustang,
Just wanted you to know how much we appreciate all that you are doing to bring this info to us.
Thank you.

Today's Update...The Trial Starts Tomorrow..Hopfully there will be some justice for my friend Cheryl Hodges Dunlap...Rest In Peace...Sweet Lady!!

A judge has refused to delay Gary Hilton's trial.

------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATED 1.27.2011 10:05am by Julie Montanaro

Attorneys for Gary Hilton filed an emergency motion for a continuance Wednesday afternoon as jury selection fast approaches in his trial.

In the motion, defense attorney Ines Suber says, "The complexity of the case cannot be underestimated." She cites more than 1,000 pieces of evidence, 4000 photographs and a list of nearly 650 "Category A" witnesses.

Suber says the defense has deposed about 400 of those witnesses, but has yet to contact 159 of them. Suber also says prosecutors notified her of five additional witnesses on December 29th, four of whom live in Georgia.

Suber contends that one of the witnesses, who was an inmate at the Leon County Jail at the time, gave law enforcement some information about the case and received a lighter sentence in exchange.

Suber also says there are 180 witness depositions she has yet to read or discuss with Gary Hilton.

http://www.wctv.tv/floridanews/head...es_for_Kidnapping_Murder_Trial_114277639.html

My question to Defense Attorney Inez Suber is.....

WHY haven't you been doing your job for the last THREE years????

Maybe it is because she has been defending too many 's and she is spreading herself too thin!!!

Rest In Peace...Cheryl Dunlap..A True Angel of God!!

So, is Jury selection starting today as scheduled? Does anyone have any news or is there anywhere else to keep up with this trial?
Thanks...T

FROM WCTV.

[UPDATE] 1-31 Noon --

Accused killer Gary Hilton is now on trial for the murder and kidnapping of Crawfordville Sunday School Teacher and FSU nurse Cheryl Dunlap.

Jury selection started this morning.

Cheryl Dunlap was kidnapped and killed in December, 2007, now more than three years later, Gary Hilton is on trial for it.

Hilton's attorneys have tried repeatedly to have the trial moved, but the judge is determined to try to seat a jury here. Today the first 50 of 220 potential jurors reported to courtroom 3G. Soon afterward, Hilton, along with his defense team, prosecutors and the judge gathered around a table in a nearby room and called jurors in one by one. They wanted to know what they'd seen or heard about the case and if they had any strong opinions about his guilt or innocence. There were a wide variety of answers. Some folks knew lots of information, including Hilton's ties to killings in Georgia and North Carolina, others say they didn't know the first thing about this case. The majority of those excused however said they unequivalently thought he was guilty.

At the table potential jurors are sitting just three feet away from Hilton.

For the most part, Hilton stares straight ahead and taps his feet and occasionally glances at the jurors answering questions.

The judge hopes to have a jury seated by Wednesday so they can begin testimony on Friday. Of the first 20 potential jurors questioned, 9 were excused and 11 were told to come back Wednesday for further questioning.

______________________________

Late afternoon update:

Gary Michael Hilton's trial stirs up memories and a lot emotions for folks in Crawfordville where Cheryl Dunlap lived and died.

The first thing that comes to mind for many when they think about Hilton facing a jury is -- it's about time.
Click here to find out more!

One woman said, "They shouldn't have waited that long."

People in Crawfordville say it's a long time coming for Gary Michael Hilton to stand trial for the murder and kidnapping of fellow resident Cheryl Dunlap.

Pat Underwood said, "I think it's been very difficult for people who knew her really well and her family and extended family. Every time I go pass that place on the road to Tallahassee, I think about it."

That place on the road Underwood is referring to is Highway 319 near the
Wakulla/Leon County line where Dunlap's Toyota Camry was found on December 3, 2007.

Dunlap hadn't been seen since December first, and hunters later discovered her body in the Apalachicola National Forest on December 15th.

More than three years later, jurors are finally being picked to hear the case.

Many in Dunlap's hometown say they already have an ideal outcome in mind.

Jean Rueth said, "Go ahead and give him the death penalty and be done with it. They had all the evidence they needed. He should just go ahead and fry for it."

Dunlap was a Sunday School teacher in Crawfordville and a nurse at FSU.

Jeremy Brown said, "It rips my heart out when I find out someone can do something so savage to someone so strong and pure. There's no point in that."

"They need to see a resolution quickly. If he's guilty, then the town will rest and be at peace."

Many in Crawfordville say although it's taken what they consider too long for Hilton to go on trial, they say they hope a guilty verdict will bring them some closure.

http://www.wctv.tv/floridanews/headlines/Residents_Hilton_Trial_Way_Past_Due_114975829.html

Morning updates: Hoping you can see the picture..He looks so different in a suit and tie...and even has on Glasses!! Looks almost normal...LOL

UPDATE] 2-1 9:45am

One of the prospective jurors says he actually saw Gary Hilton in a camp store when he and his wife were hiking in the Georgia mountains back in 2007. He says the Meredith Emerson disappearance and murder unfolded the week he was there. He was excused from the jury pool.

_______________________________

[UPDATE] 2-1 9:30am

Judge James Hankinson says he will excuse any juror who is aware of Gary Hilton's conviction in the murder of Georgia hiker Meredith Emerson. Hankinson says if they are aware of the case, but don't know that Hilton was actually convicted, that will not automatically rule them out.

________________________________

[UPDATE] 2-1 8:45am

Jury selection continued Tuesday, Feb. 2 in the kidnapping and murder trial of Gary Hilton. Jurors continue to be called into a room adjacent to courtroom 3G to be questioned one by one.

At this stage potential jurors are being questioned about any news reports they may have seen or read about this case.

We have a reporter in court. Stay with WCTV.tv for updates.

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/J...hael_Hilton_Case_Begins_Monday_114908669.html

I will check back tonight to see the evening news update. I may attend some of the trial when it gets going. Since I know the children quite well...I am still considering that fact in relation to my actions. I do have a friend who has been following the case. She actually printed out the redacted materials that were released to the public some time back. She is planning to attend. Our local media has told her that there will TV coverage but it will be pay per view on Comcast. I can't afford to do this! When I get more info on this I will let you guys know.

Rest in Peace...Cheryl Dunlap and Meredith Emerson

No big update tonight...I do have some info on Tallahassee Democrat Online..I captured this from a friend that is posting on there. I only receive the Sunday edition and it will not let me back online..UGH!

The reporter's name is Jennifer Portman and I am posting her Twitter Address. My friend said that she Tweeted during the jury selection. I am totally out of the loop on Tweeting. Maybe it is time to learn. I will call one of my "I.T." children and see if they can give me a lesson! LOL

http://twitter.com/JMPortman

If anyone one here uses Tweeter....Please send me instructions. I am wondering if you have to Tweet on your cell phone or if you can use a laptop???

Talk to you guys later...Sally

DEAR GOD..PLEASE BLESS THE FAMILIES OF CHERYL DUNLAP & MEREDITH EMERSON

Mustang Sally said:

No big update tonight...I do have some info on Tallahassee Democrat Online..I captured this from a friend that is posting on there. I only receive the Sunday edition and it will not let me back online..UGH!

The reporter's name is Jennifer Portman and I am posting her Twitter Address. My friend said that she Tweeted during the jury selection. I am totally out of the loop on Tweeting. Maybe it is time to learn. I will call one of my "I.T." children and see if they can give me a lesson! LOL

http://twitter.com/JMPortman

If anyone one here uses Tweeter....Please send me instructions. I am wondering if you have to Tweet on your cell phone or if you can use a laptop???

Talk to you guys later...Sally

DEAR GOD..PLEASE BLESS THE FAMILIES OF CHERYL DUNLAP & MEREDITH EMERSON

Click to expand...

I believe you can do both. You have to set up a twitter account. I don't tweet. But I follow journalist that tweet about cases.

Today's morning updates:

PDATE] 2-2 11:50AM

Defense attorney Ines Suber told jurors not to be swayed by the gruesome photographs of Cheryl Dunlap's body.

Co-counsel Robert Friedman will question jurors extensively about their feelings on capital punishment after lunch.

[UPDATE] 2-2 11:30AM

Defense attorney Ines Suber is now addressing jurors.

"I have tried to speak without an accent," she said, "but it is impossible."

Suber told jurors that she is from Colombia, came to this country in 1968, and is a US citizen. She asked them to raise their hands at any time if they have any trouble understanding her.

Victim Cheryl Dunlap worked at FSU as a nurse. Suber asked if any of the potential jurors who attended FSU or worked there would be swayed by that. All said no.

Suber also asked whether any of the jurors camped or hiked in the Apalachicola National Forest. At least three said they took day hikes there and several others said they camped in other places. Suber asked repeatedly whether they took rubber bands to secure their pant legs, but all of the jurors said no.

___________________________________

[UPDATE] 2-2 11AM --

A handful of potential jurors said they could not impose the death penalty.

State Attorney Willie Meggs asked the rest if they could find Gary Hilton guilty knowing the death penalty is a possibility. All of the jurors said the could.

Meggs told the jurors that they are not sitting in judgment of Gary Hilton, but are sitting in judgment of the evidence and the facts.

One juror said she's not sure she could live with deciding whether someone should live or die.

Meggs also asked jurors to hold prosecutors to a reasonable standard in their presentation of evidence. "This is not CSI, we're not going to get this done in an hour. We're not going to pull fingerprints out of the air ... or trace fibers to a single manufacturer in Duluth, Minnesota."

____________________________

[UPDATE] 2-2 10AM --

Prosecutors read a list of 65 potential witnesses.

Nearly 40 of them are law enforcement officers. They are from Leon and Wakulla counties as well as from sheriff's offices and police departments in Georgia and South Carolina.

Both of Cheryl Dunlap's sons and her daughter-in-law are on the witness list.

Also expected to testify is Dr. Anthony Falsetti, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Florida. He specializes in identifying human remains and has helped to do that in the wake of the September 11th terror attacks as well as the tsunami in Southeast Asia.

The defense read a list of 65 possible witnesses. That includes more than half a dozen doctors and a tool mark expert.

Dr. Jason Byrd, a forensic entomologist from the University of Florida, is on the defense's witness list. He helped to identify bodies in the wake of last year's earthquake in Haiti.

Jurors are now being questioned about their opinions on the death penalty.

http://www.wctv.tv/floridanews/head...hael_Hilton_Case_Begins_Monday_114908669.html

Well I guess the SA "Good Ole Boy" Willie Meggs must have a pretty secure case against Hilton, otherwise he would not be calling on the services of Dr. Jason Byrd!

This guy sounds like a big hitter.

I can only hope they will give him the Death Penalty! For Cheryl's sake...I am going for "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." He killed her & Meredith Emerson...therefore the State of Florida Should Kill Him.

But the sad thing is that he will most likly stay in Florida and head down the Street Of Appeals. So sad!

DEAR GOD...PLEASE BLESS THE FAMILY OF CHERYL DUNLAP