December 05

The Yates Trial Update

A Houston mother's 9-1-1 call and her confession that she drowned her five children can be considered by a jury when the woman goes on trial early next year. That's what a judge ruled after two days of testimony on pretrial motions. Defense attorney George Parnham had claimed client Andrea Yates was too mentally fragile to give up her Fifth Amendment rights on June 20th. On that day police arrived at her home to find her four sons and infant daughter dead. State District Judge Belinda Hill denied the motion to throw out the confession and 9-1-1 call yesterday, as well as a handful of the other 33 motions filed by Yates' attorneys. Andrea Yates faces two capital murder charges for her children's deaths. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. The trial is scheduled to begin January Seventh.