New York: TROOPER MURDER: Upton pretrial hearing set
A pretrial hearing is expected to begin March 3 for Almond Upton, the man accused of murdering state Trooper Christopher Skinner on Interstate 81, in advance of his July trial date in Broome County Court.
The hearing will center on statements allegedly made by Upton to law enforcement, and the defense will challenge the way police obtained those statements. Any pretrial hearing is a court proceeding that criminal defendants are entitled to, in which defense and prosecuting attorneys resolve issues of law that a jury would not consider.
Judge Joseph Cawley will preside over the March 3 hearing from 1 to 3 p.m. Jury selection in Upton's trial is scheduled to begin July 5.
Binghamton attorney and former prosecutor Benjamin Bergman was appointed to handle the prosecution of Upton's trial because of a conflict of interest regarding new personnel in the Broome County District Attorney's Office.
Upton, 62, of Florida, has pleaded not guilty to an 11-count indictment, with the most serious charge being a felony count of first-degree murder that carries a possible life sentence in state prison upon conviction.
Upton indicted on murder charge in trooper's death
A jury will likely hear a defense that argues Upton is not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, according to court filings, though no specific mental illness has been publicly identified.
On the evening of May 29, 2014, a handcuffed Upton ranted about a "time warp," as troopers led him from Chenango Town Court after he was taken into custody. Upton is being held in the Broome County jail.
Skinner, 42, of Kirkwood, was killed when a pickup truck driven by Upton struck the trooper during a traffic stop on Interstate 81, according to police. He was killed about a mile north of Exit 6 between Chenango Bridge and Castle Creek.
A 13-year veteran of the state police, Skinner was assigned to the New York State Police Traffic Incident Management detail, which was created to focus on the safety of construction workers and drivers in work zones.
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