In rare move for murder defendant, Durst expected to testify

LOS ANGELES – New York existent property heir Robert Durst is expected to instrumentality the basal successful his ain defence successful a Los Angeles County tribunal Thursday successful a uncommon determination considered highly risky for a suspect successful a execution trial.

Durst is charged with sidesplitting his champion person Susan Berman, who was changeable and killed successful her location successful 2000.

Prosecutors are acceptable to resume their cross-examination of the lone different defence witness, mendacious representation adept Elizabeth Loftus, to statesman the day, and should defence attorneys spell done with their plans to telephone the 78-year-old Durst, his grounds volition follow, and should past respective days.

The bold determination worked erstwhile before.

Durst's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, besides represented him successful his 2003 Texas execution trial, erstwhile helium enactment Durst connected the stand. Durst was charged with sidesplitting his Galveston neighbour Morris Black portion successful hiding determination aft Berman's killing. He said Black was accidentally killed successful a conflict aft entering Durst's flat with a gun. He admitted to dismembering and disposing of Black's body. The assemblage acquitted him of murder.

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Prosecutors successful the California proceedings person besides been allowed to contiguous grounds from the Texas case, and grounds that Durst killed his wife, who disappeared successful New York successful 1982. Kathie Durst’s assemblage was ne'er found, but she has been declared legally dead. Durst has ne'er been charged successful transportation with her disappearance, and has denied having thing to bash with it.

He has besides denied sidesplitting Berman, who prosecutors accidental was astir to speech to constabulary astir Durst's engagement successful his wife's disappearance. Durst's attorneys person said that helium recovered her body, panicked, and fled to Texas, sending a missive to constabulary that work “CADAVER” with Berman's address.

Durst volition apt instrumentality the basal successful the region jailhouse attire he's been wearing successful tribunal for the past respective weeks, which his attorneys said was indispensable due to the fact that terrible wellness problems marque him incapable to basal and alteration into a suit.

Durst has bladder crab and a urinary tract infection. He has been successful a wheelchair and has a catheter inserted. His hairsbreadth is shaven abbreviated due to the fact that fluid had to beryllium drained from his brain.

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He has looked acold much frail than helium did successful his notorious interviews for the 2015 HBO documentary “The Jinx," successful which helium made respective seemingly damning statements that were played for jurors astatine the trial. Durst was arrested successful New Orleans connected the eve of the airing of the last episode.

His lawyers person sought delays and a mistrial implicit his wellness troubles, but Judge Mark E. Windham has rejected them all, expressing sympathy for Durst's authorities but emphasizing that jailhouse doctors person declared him acceptable for trial.

Windham has been determined to yet decorativeness a proceedings that took years to statesman and was paused for much than a twelvemonth conscionable aft it began due to the fact that of the coronavirus.

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and its extortion against self-incrimination keeps transgression defendants from having to attest astatine their trials. They whitethorn instrumentality the basal if they choose, but it's considered exceedingly risky to enactment them astatine the mercy of cross-examining prosecutors, and defence attorneys seldom bash it.

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— Follow AP Entertainment writer Andrew Dalton connected Twitter astatine https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton

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