Pulse nightclub shooter’s wife will stand trial in Orlando
Noor Salman will stand trial over claims she knew husband Omar Mateen was going to carry out the deadly massacre.
By Will Stroude
The wife of the Pulse nightclub shooter will stand trial in Orlando, a federal judge has ruled.
Noor Salman was arrested by FBI early in January and pleaded not guilty to charges of aiding and abetting and obstruction of justice.
Now, her request to move the proceeding to a new city where she could find a more impartial jury has been denied by US District Judge Paul Byron, NewNowNext reports.
Back in September, Salman’s attorneys claimed media coverage and statements from local officials created a “prejudicial environment”.
Bryon insisted the court was instituting precautions to ensure a fair trial which includes having potential jurors fill out questionnaires which attorneys can use to eliminate some from the jury pool.
In a statement, he said: “The Court finds that the pretrial publicity in this case does not rise to the level of saturation.”
Prosecutors claim that Salman knew her husband was going to carry out the attack and lied to police to impede the investigation.
She allegedly watched Mateen, who killed 49 people on the night of the attack, leave their home with a gun and a backpack of ammunition on the night of the attack.
She also accompanied him on scouting trips to Disney World and Disney Springs shopping complex, where Mateen allegedly asked her if attacking the mall would have a bigger impact than a gay nightclub.
Salman’s trial is set to begin in March.