A series of high-profile criminal cases are in court this week for hearings that could prove pivotal. Four of the six have celebrity defendants or victims.
On Monday, there was a preliminary hearing for singer D4vd in Los Angeles; Andrew and Tristan Tate were fighting extradition in Miami; and a woman who killed her three kids was on trial in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
On Tuesday, attorneys for the man accused of murder in the 1996 death of Tupac Shakur are scheduled to appear in court in Las Vegas and a convicted school shooter could be sentenced in Winder, Georgia.
Also this week, a trial over the man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie continues in Buffalo, New York.
Here’s a look at the cases, what’s happening this week and what’s at stake:
A judge ruled there was enough evidence to put D4vd on trial
PHOTOS: This week in court: 6 high-profile cases from the Tate brothers to D4vd
Prosecutors say the singer, whose legal name is David Burke, killed a 14-year-old girl after she threatened to reveal their sexual relationship. Burke has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have said they will vigorously defend him.
The indie-pop musician’s online presence has brought him a huge following. His breakthrough single in 2022 was called “Romantic Homicide,” one of several of his songs with more than a billion plays on Spotify.
Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo decided Monday the evidence prosecutors presented at a preliminary hearing that spanned five days provided probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
Andrew and Tristan Tate fight extradition
The social media influencers are accused of rape and sex trafficking in the United Kingdom, but are currently in the United States.
On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for Aug. 13 to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.
The Tates promote their wealth, male dominance and misogyny through a social media empire that’s made them some of the world’s most polarizing internet personalities. The former professional kickboxers, who have dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie is on trial
Prosecutors have charged Hadi Matar with terrorism. Matar was previously convicted of a state-level attempted murder charge in the 2022 attack at a cultural institution where Rushdie was poised to speak about threats to writers and artists.
Rushdie testified against him last week in federal court in Buffalo, New York. Matar’s attorneys have said their client may testify.
Trial begins for Massachusetts woman who killed her 3 kids
Lindsay Clancy strangled her 8-month-old, 3-year-old and 5-year-old children on Jan. 24, 2023 at her Massachusetts home. Prosecutors have charged her with murder.
The case casts a spotlight on postpartum mental health. Clancy’s attorneys say she sought help for postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. Prosecutors say she carefully planned the killings.
If convicted of murder, Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.
Jurors on Monday heard opening statements and testimony from Clancy’s former husband, Patrick Clancy. The trial is expected to last several weeks.
Georgia school shooter to be sentenced to life in prison
Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at a high school north of Atlanta that left two students and two teachers dead. A judge must now decide whether he will have the possibility of parole.
A forensic psychologist who evaluated Gray after the shooting at the request of the teen’s attorney said Monday that Gray had a chaotic, lonely upbringing.
A jury in March convicted his father, Colin Gray, on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors said he gave his son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school.
Judge to consider evidence in the killing of Tupac
Duane “Keffe D” Davis is set to go on trial in August over the killing of the rap icon. He’s accused of orchestrating the killing.
His attorneys are scheduled to ask a judge on Tuesday to exclude an interview he conducted with police in 2008.
Shakur’s death is considered one of the most notorious unsolved murders in the United States. The case had gone cold until Davis began making public statements about it, including in a book he co-wrote in which he said he provided the weapon used to shoot Shakur.
