NORFOLK, Va. — A judge will decide at sentencing whether Navy Seaman Jermiah Copeland’s pretrial confinement has been unlawful, as his case moves closer to a possible plea agreement.
Copeland is accused of the 2025 murder of 21-year-old Angelina Resendiz. Her body was found nearly two weeks after she was reported missing by her friends, about 10 miles from Naval Station Norfolk.
During a hearing on Friday, the defense argued Copeland has been held in maximum confinement since his arrest, as next week will mark 365 days in custody. Defense attorneys are asking the court to apply a 3:1 credit toward any future sentence, saying the conditions of confinement amount to punishment prior to trial. However, the government wants to provide 1:1 credit toward time served instead…