CHARLESTON, S.C. — White supremacist Dylann Roof, awaiting trial for fatally shooting nine members of a historic black church in South Carolina last year, will be allowed to have his lawyers back for the guilt phase of his death penalty trial, a judge ruled Monday.
The 22-year-old had successfully petitioned U.S. District Court Judge Richard Gergel last Monday to represent himself during the entire trial, which gets underway this week.
But on Sunday he submitted a handwritten motion asking to use the attorneys during the initial trial phase and then, if found guilty, represent himself during the penalty phase, during which jurors will determine if he gets a death sentence or life in prison.
Gergel agreed to the request, but warned Roof that he can’t change his mind again.
Last Monday, Roof fired his high-powered legal team and handled the selection of a pool of 67 potential jurors himself, a decision the judge called “very unwise” but within Roof’s constitutional rights.
Ever since then, his legal team has sought to play a larger role in his defense, saying late last week they feared Roof wouldn’t introduce evidence that could possibly spare his life.
Authorities have said that Roof killed the parishioners in a racially motivated attack at the Emanuel AME Church in June 2015.
After joining the group for an hour of Bible study and prayer, Roof allegedly pulled out .45-caliber Glock and slaughtered nine parishioners and attempted to kill three others.
He intentionally left one person alive so she could tell the world that the killings were because he hated black people.
Final jury selection and opening statements in Roof’s federal trial on 33 charges, including hate crimes and obstruction of the practice of religion, are scheduled to begin Wednesday.
Prosecutors said they expect their case to take a little over a week. Roof also faces a death penalty trial on state murder charges.
With Associated Press