The trial for a Clermont County father accused of killing his three young sons has been delayed.
Chad Doerman’s trial was originally scheduled for July, but the date has now been vacated, our news partners at WCPO in Cincinnati reported.
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This comes after Doerman’s attorneys filed a motion asking Clermont County Judge Richard Ferenc to find Doerman ineligible to receive the death penalty. In the filing, they cited “serious mental illness at time of offense.”
An initial hearing on the filing was held Friday afternoon and Doerman’s attorneys have agreed to submit an expert’s report supporting Doerman’s mental illness by June 3.
There will now be a pre-trial hearing in August to determine whether Doerman is eligible for the death penalty.
The delays mean that it is likely Doerman will not go to trial this year, WCPO reported. A potential complication arises if that is the case, as Ferenc is scheduled to retire at the end of the year. Another judge would need to take over the case. If Doerman is found eligible for capital punishment, then that potential new judge would need to be death penalty-qualified.