Preston Lord murder suspects appear in court for hearing

PHOENIX - Six of seven suspects charged with the murder of Preston Lord appeared in court on Thursday morning for a hearing.

William Hines, Talyn Vigil, Taylor Sherman, Dominic Turner, Treston Billey, Talan Renner and Jacob Meisner face murder and kidnapping charges in the death of Lord, 16, who was assaulted during a Halloween party on Oct. 28, 2023, in Queen Creek.

Lord died at the hospital two days later.

All seven suspects pleaded not guilty.

The beating death of Lord was the case that shined a light on teen violence incidents in the East Valley, including the "Gilbert Goons," a group that has been officially declared as a criminal street gang.

During Thursday's hearing, a lawyer for Renner objected to media cameras in the courtroom, saying the camera is a "powerful weapon." He argued cameras could be tainting the jury pool, suggesting they might need to move to a different jurisdiction if cameras remain in court.

Lawyers also said they may not be ready to go to trial until 2025 or later due to the amount of evidence that needs to be reviewed. 

"I understand all of my co-counsel's concerns, and I know everyone is mentioning one year. I forsee this case going at least two to three years down the line," a lawyer said.

"Some people might think ‘how is it even possible that it can take that long?’ It does, and it’s not just this case. There are many cases that take a long period of time, based on amount of evidence there is and the amount it is used to prepare," said the judge.

For now, the tentative start date for the murder trial is July 21, 2025, but that is flexible.

City council advances brass knuckles ordinance

The Chandler City Council advanced two proposals on Thursday night focused on preventing teen violence.

One proposal would ban anyone under the age of 18 from having brass knuckles, while the other would make it a crime to allow, organize, host or attend an "unruly gathering," which is defined to include minors possessing or consuming alcohol, illegal drugs, performing acts designated a felony under state law, or getting into a physical altercation that results in injury.

Anyone responsible for the party could be arrested and charged if they have a previous citation against them for an "unruly gathering" within the past 180 days.

If a minor is hosting the party, a parent or guardian would also be held accountable, even if they are not present.

The father of Preston Lord spoke during the city council meeting in support of the proposal. 

"By endorsing this amended law, we are taking a firm stand against preventable tragedies by reinforcing community safety," he said. "This law is not just a measure of enforcement, but a step towards collaborative prevention and education."

Earlier this year, Chandler adopted a resolution "to actively work to investigate acts of youth violence and to prevent such violence through education and community involvement with youth."

The final vote to adopt the new ordinances is scheduled for May 23.