Wednesday, January 25, 2017
YOUNGSTOWN
Judge Maureen Sweeney said she wants to wait before deciding if the death penalty trial of Robert Seman should moved from Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
The judge said in a pretrial hearing Wednesday that she wants to review the questionnaires prospective jurors will fill out when they report Feb. 3 for duty in the case before making any decision.
Seman could face the death penalty if convicted of the March 30, 2015, deaths of Corinne Gump, 10, and her grandparents, William and Judith Schmidt, during an arson at their Powers Way home just hours before Seman was to go on trial on a charge he raped the girl. Seman was free on $200,000 bond at the time of the fire.
Defense attorneys have asked for a change of venue.
The attorneys also discussed whether a bribery allegation against Seman also should be introduced at trial. Seman is accused of trying to bribe his ex-wife the day before the fire to change her testimony in the rape trial.
Read more about the case in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.