ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s highest court is weighing a pretrial appeal from a man charged with the 2005 slaying of a high school teacher whose disappearance remained a mystery for more than a decade.
The Georgia Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday from attorneys for Ryan Duke, who is charged with murder in the killing of teacher and beauty queen Tara Grinstead.
Duke’s lawyers want the high court to order that the state pay for expert defense witnesses.
The trial judge has twice refused, saying Duke forfeited any right to indigent services when declined representation by public defenders.
Instead, Duke has private attorneys representing him for free.
