The trial of Sina Khankhanian, the man accused of killing 13-year-old Malibu resident Emily Shane, starts today at the Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles.
The trial begins more than a year and a half after Khankhanian, 28, struck and killed Shane as she walked along Pacific Coast Highway. Khankhanian faces one charge of second-degree murder for allegedly hitting Shane on purpose on April 3, 2010 after driving recklessly for miles along PCH in an apparent attempt to end his own life.
The case has encountered numerous delays in the 21 months since Shane was killed. Khankhanian pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder after a January 2010 preliminary hearing. A pretrial conference to set a trial date was postponed multiple times while the prosecution and defense reviewed psychological testing performed on Khankhanian. A trial was eventually set for September, but those plans were shelved after Deputy District Attorney Marna Miller could not schedule enough eyewitnesses to the crime in time for the impending trial. Facing a deadline required by law, Miller decided to refile the case and start over.
Bradley Brunon, Khankhanian’s attorney, has argued that a second-degree murder charge, which carries a sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment in a state prison for intentionally killing another person, is too harsh. He says Khankhanian killed Shane unintentionally due to recklessness and should be charged with gross vehicular manslaughter. That charge carries a sentence of one to 10 years in a county jail or state prison.
The prosecution reportedly offered the defense a plea deal, which Khankhanian’s lawyer rejected.
The trial, which is open to the public, is expected to last three weeks with morning and afternoon sessions each day.