jmccann@heraldsun.com; 419-6601
DURHAM -- The Keith Kidwell murder trial has dragged on longer than expected and will be suspended next week to accommodate both the judge and the jury.
Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson is planning to attend a judicial conference next week at the UNC School of Government in Chapel Hill. And with a nod toward allowing the jurors to return to work and take care of personal matters, Hudson on Tuesday decided to let the trial idle next week. It is expected to resume the week of Oct. 26.
Kidwell is charged with the February 2005 killing of Crayton Nelms at the 4604 N. Roxboro St. location of a Kangaroo convenience store where the 44-year-old was working as an overnight clerk. Kidwell, 25, could get sent to prison for the rest of his life without the possibility of parole if the jury finds him guilty of first-degree murder.
Nelms' son and sister said during an interview that the length of the trial isn't a discouragement if it means justice for the victim. Corey Nelms and Claudia Nelms Young Rosser have been among the victim's relatives who've been at the trial from its beginning in late September.
Nelms' son and sister said they are accustomed to delays in the Kidwell case. Attorney Lisa Williams is the defendant's sixth lawyer in this matter. Cases lose momentum when new lawyers come aboard because there's catching up to do.
Hudson, who has been mindful of his jurors' needs, asked them to recall dates he would need to accommodate.
"How far do you want us to project?" one juror asked.
"Like, till Christmas?" another juror quipped.
Courtroom spectators got a kick out of that.
One juror mentioned her vacation plans but said everything should work out since the trial is suspended next week.
Another juror is a schoolteacher with upcoming conferences with parents. Come Friday, she will have missed almost four weeks of school.
And she's pregnant, but the baby's due in March.
