HAMAD TRIAL | Life or death penalty phase begins 9 a.m. Monday

WARREN

The penalty phase of the Nasser Hamad aggravated murder trial will begin at 9 a.m. Monday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

One of the attorneys for Hamad, 48, of state Route 46 in Howland, told Judge Ronald Rice Monday after Hamad was found guilty of two counts of aggravated murder and six counts of attempted aggravated murder that one of the witnesses they expected to call for the penalty phase will not be available until Monday.

The penalty phase allows Hamad's attorneys to present witnesses to provide mitigating evidence in Hamad's favor to show why he should not receive a death sentence.

Prosecutors are able to cross examine the witnesses.

The six men and six women on the jury will then weigh whether the aggravating circumstances of killing two or more people outweighs the mitigating evidence presented. Judge Rice can then affirm the jury's sentence or give a different one.

If Hamad escapes the death penalty, jurors could give him life in prison without parole, or life in prison with parole eligibility after 25 or 30 years.