BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A new trial date has been set for Damien McDaniel. He is accused of killing 18 people around Jefferson County in various shootings, including the mass shootings at Trendsetters Lounge and Hush Lounge in 2024.
The trial for McDaniel in the Trendsetters Lounge case was scheduled to start Monday, but it was changed to a status hearing. The judge set a new trial date for McDaniel on January 25, 2027. The state said it will let the court know next Monday which case it will prosecute first.
When the trial date was first announced in the courtroom, McDaniel’s attorney, John Robbins, asked the judge for a 2028 or 2029 date. It was met with outcry from the victims’ families in the courtroom. Judge Shanta Owens said even if she wanted to do a trial date in 2028 or 2029, she could not schedule that far in advance. McDaniel will stay on the docket for the start of 2027 for the time being.
Timeline of all the murder cases Damien McDaniel is charged with in Birmingham
The state and the defense attorneys in the McDaniel’s cases are under an order from the judge not to talk with media…