The case of Ayman Soliman, the former chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, caught in a flurry of legal battles, has taken another sharp turn as his trial date has been abruptly pushed forward by nearly three months. Previously set for December 15, the proceedings will now commence on September 25. LOCAL12 reported the swift rescheduling and the implications it has on Soliman’s legal team, which now find themselves scrambling to build a defense in what they claim to be a significantly condensed timeframe.
According to a statement obtained by WLWT, Robert Ratliff, Soliman’s attorney, highlighted the burden placed on his client. “An arbitrary rule like this that does not provide for an individualized determination of a case’s complexity, or the amount of time needed to prepare and present a defense, especially when such a rule is neither publicly stated or based on any legislation, or regulation, I feel should be inherently unconstitutional and a violation of due process,” Ratliff said. He also indicated his intent to request a federal court review of the hastened schedule immediately.
Complicating matters further, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has admitted to a significant error in its accusation of “murder and terrorism” against Soliman, pertaining to a country he’d never visited. This admission, as Cincinnati.com notes, relates to the wrongful allegations that initially took place under the Trump administration and contributes to an already convoluted legal situation for the former chaplain…