USA - Connecticut. Judge George Thim granted lawyers for Richard Roszkowski a year's delay for retrial

Judge George Thim granted lawyers for Richard Roszkowski a year's delay to begin picking a jury for a death penalty hearing. In a 4-line decision, Thim ruled the penalty hearing for Roszkowski won't begin until next year. He stated his decision was based on defense arguments that they needed a year to prepare to fight for their client's life. On July 15, 2009 (see) a jury sentenced Roszkowski, 44, white, to death for the Sept. 7, 2006 shooting deaths of 39-year-old Holly Flannery, her daughter, Kylie, and 38-year-old Thomas Gaudet. But the judge who presided over the case later admitted he made a mistake when he didn't tell the jury they had to unanimously find there were no mitigating factors before deciding if Richard Roszkowski should get the death penalty. At that time the judge rejected a defense motion to immediately impose a life sentence on Roszkowski and instead, he ordered the case continued for another jury to decide his fate. (see Oct. 16, 2009). In March the state Supreme Court supported a new penalty hearing for Roszkowski.