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The trial of former Minuetemen leader Chris Simcox could set a new legal precedent in Arizona.
Simcox was accused in 2013 of molesting three children between the ages of 5 and 6. The trial began in April 2015 in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Simcox has chosen to represent himself in court.
Two of the children will testify in the case. At stake is whether the court will allow Simcox to cross-examine the children. Prosecutors say that violates Arizona’s Victims’ Rights Bill, which gives victims the choice to refuse questioning by a defendant or the defendant’s attorney, especially if the possibility of intimidation or abuse is present.
Jerry Cobb is the public information officer for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. He said the circumstances of this case are unique.
“These are victims who are very young, who are also witnesses we are calling to testify," Cobb said.
"Our position is that having the defendant personally cross-examine these victims will subject them to the same type of manipulation that we believe he engaged in when he perpetrated the alleged acts," he said.
In a letter to the judge, a mother of one of the victims said her daughter has "panic attacks and nightmares" since the alleged molestation.
The case is due back in court July 23.
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