Trial Court Leaves Open Manslaughter Option In Trial of Tiller's Shooter

In Wichita, Kansas, a state trial court judge has left open the question of whether Scott Roeder who is on trial for killing abortion doctor George Tiller will be permitted to argue that he is guilty only of manslaughter. Roeder wants to argue that he was attempting to save the lives of the unborn. According to yesterday's New York Times, Judge Warren Wilbert denied the prosecution motion to exclude evidence that might support a manslaughter conviction. Instead, he said that he would decide on a witness-by-witness basis during trial what evidence he will admit. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]