Federal prosecutors earlier this month filed a motion to delay the trial date of Eric Rudolph, seeking additional time to review evidence and submit the case to the Justice Department for death penalty authorization, reported the Birmingham News. The motion stated, “This case, while large in amount of evidence, is also complex and it is unreasonable to expect counsel to be adequately prepared for pretrial proceedings and the trial itself within the current limits,” according to Kaisernetwork.org.
Rudolph was captured on June 1 in Murphy, NC, after five years on the run from authorities. He is believed to be the perpetrator in bombings of two abortion clinics, a lesbian and gay nightclub, and Centennial Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics. These bombings left two people dead and over 100 injured. Rudolph is a Christian Identity adherent with ties to the Army of God.
Rudolph’s trial, currently scheduled for August 4, could be delayed by several months while Attorney General John Ashcroft decides whether the Justice Department will seek the death penalty. Last Friday, appearing before Chief Magistrate Judge T. Michael Putnam of Birmingham’s federal court, Rudolph pleaded not guilty to the updated two-count indictment that outlines why prosecutors could call for the death penalty.
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