The Brief
- A judge set a Nov. 3 trial date for Jacob Meisner, one of six defendants accused in the beating death of 16-year-old Preston Lord.
- Meisner faces first-degree murder and kidnapping charges stemming from the October 2023 incident.
- Trial dates have not been set for the other five defendants, while a seventh defendant, William Hines, accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
PHOENIX – A judge has set a trial date for one of the six defendants accused of taking part in the beating that led to Preston Lord’s death.
The backstory:
Lord was severely beaten by a group of teenagers at an October 2023 Halloween party in Queen Creek. The 16-year-old died in the hospital two days later, and his death was ruled a homicide from multiple blunt force injuries.
Lord’s case brought a series of acts of teen violence in the East Valley to light, leading to ordinance changes in several cities, such as the banning of brass knuckles. It also led to the passing of “Preston’s Law” at the state level, which created harsher penalties for people convicted of “swarming,” when multiple people attack a single victim.…