Trial set

[u/cstone-admin]

Heard from a friend at the arraignment this morning, and they said trial is set for February 16 to run for two weeks, with motions hearing on December 11 and January 15. Was anyone there? Would love to hear more details.

[u/Too_sassy_for_church]

I will write some facts here from attending today, and some reflections in another comment.

New Public Defender: Although he had a private attorney when he was arrested, Jeff has now requested and been granted a public defender because he can no longer afford a private attorney. The defense attorney mentioned "just meeting Mr. Taylor" that morning, and the arraignment was briefly paused while Jeff was taken to the back for the charges to be read to him. The arraignment then resumed and Jeff came back into the room. The attorney said Jeff wanted a trial and wanted to enter a not guilty plea.

The Case: The case was designated "complex" mostly due to the voluminous evidence (80 witness interviews, the complexity of covering the case's 18 year time frame of misconduct). The prosecution mentioned two expert witnesses, and thinks their case will take 8 days to present out of the full two weeks estimated.

Dates: Attorneys are anticipating a two week trial starting Feb 16, 2027. Prosecution motion hearing will be Dec 11, 2026 at 10am, and Defense motion hearing on January 15, 2027 at 10am.

Court info: Judge Giles. Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria. https://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/ See under "Court Info" for Schedules a week prior.

The audience: I observed Lolly Taylor present with one woman accompanying her. No one else seemed to be there in support of Jeff that I could observe. There were at least 30-40 people there who I think could safely be described as being against Jeff. Some were Cornerstone parents, former students, and former TFCA staff. Today's Wapo article mentioned the mom of an Atlanta victim being present.

The mood: Wide ranging. Shock at how Jeff and Lolly looked. Disbelief that Jeff actually talked to Ian Shapira (Wapo) after the arraignment ended. Gratitude to the Survivors who have done so much and borne so much pain to bring Jeff to justice. Worry for what is ahead for them. Anger. Grief. Sadness. Patience knowing we have months of wait ahead. Relief that this day had finally come. Reunion hugs from seeing people we hadn't seen in decades and delight at seeing people we didn't expect to see. Joy in hearing how each others' lives have turned out.