ORLANDO, Fla. — The attorneys for accused cop killer Markeith Loyd filed three motions that could impact how his court cases move forward.
The move could potentially delay Loyd's first trial to next year.
Loyd is facing two murder cases: one in the death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, in 2016, the second for the death of Orlando police Sgt. Debra Clayton.
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The latest motions by Loyd's attorneys were filed for the Dixon case, but the two cases are intertwined.
Last week, a judge decided that in the Dixon case, state prosecutors can introduce evidence that Loyd shot Clayton.
That evidence would be used by the state to help show Loyd shot the officer because he knew he was guilty of shooting Dixon.
Because that evidence is now allowed in, Loyd's defense is arguing in these motions that they're basically being asked to defend both cases at once.
WFTV's legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said a judge could find that claim valid.
"Certainly the defense has a reasonable fear that the evidence from the Clayton case may become a feature in the Dixon case," Sheaffer said. "How do you cure that? You consolidate them. You defend them both at the same time."
Even if the cases aren't combined, the defense attorneys argue they need more time to mount a proper defense.
They've asked to push his trial back to April 2020
We don't know yet how much consolidating the cases into one could affect the timeline.
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