Suspect in Firefighters' Death Goes on Trial

Associated Press - Los Angeles
Some 10,000 mourners turned out for the funeral of five firefighters who died trying to save a home from a raging wildfire, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eulogized them for bravery.
The man charged with murder for setting the fire goes on trial today, and the search for an impartial jury may be difficult.
Prosecutor Michael Hestrin said it could be at least two weeks before any testimony is heard in the trial of Raymond Lee Oyler, who is charged with setting some two dozen fires, including the deadly Esperanza fire in 2006 that killed the five well-known firefighters.
Defense attorney Mark McDonald tried to get the trial moved from Riverside County, saying that intense pretrial publicity and a lynch mob atmosphere in the community would make it impossible to choose jurors who have no opinions about the case. Superior Court Judge W. Charles Morgan turned down the motion in November, saying the passage of time might have cooled emotions.

Read Entire Article: San Francisco Chronicle