prosecutors

New Mexico's Department of Public Safety says funding forensic science is essential to keeping the state's justice system working. The department stresses that forensic laboratories provide the evidence investigators and prosecutors rely on, and that sustained investment is needed for the system to function properly.

Jury selection in the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial has entered its third day, with several potential jurors dismissed. The trial stems from the 2012 killing of Hedgepeth, a University of North Carolina student, a case that remained unsolved for years. Coverage is focusing on the reasons candidates were excused as prosecutors and defense attorneys work to seat a panel.

Legal experts say Caleb Flynn's former mistress will likely not be charged in connection with the murder of his wife, according to NBC News. The assessment suggests prosecutors may lack sufficient evidence to bring charges against her, though the case itself remains a focus of public attention as developments in the investigation continue to draw scrutiny.

Jury selection is continuing for a third day in the trial of a man charged with the 2017 murder of his five-year-old niece. The case, covering a child killing that is now years old, is drawing attention in the local community as prosecutors and defense lawyers work to seat a jury. No verdict has been reached and opening arguments have not yet begun.

A man in Lafayette has been formally charged with attempted murder, according to local news reporting. Few details about the suspect, the alleged victim, or the circumstances of the incident have been released so far. Formal charges indicate prosecutors have decided to pursue the case, and an initial court appearance is typically the next step in the process.

A mistrial has been declared in a murder trial in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. The jury was unable to reach a verdict, so the case remains unresolved. Prosecutors have not said whether they intend to retry the defendant. The judge's decision means the trial ends without a conviction or acquittal, and both sides await the next step in the case.

A third suspect has been charged with murder in connection with a fatal shooting in the College Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Prosecutors filed the charge as investigators continue to piece together the circumstances of the killing. Local residents are following the case closely, with attention on what the additional arrest reveals about how the shooting unfolded and whether more charges could follow.

Pennsylvania is facing renewed debate over whether roughly 1,100 people serving mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder could be resentenced. The question touches on second-degree murder, a felony-murder rule that imposes life without parole even when the defendant did not kill anyone. Advocates for sentencing reform and prosecutors are watching closely as courts and lawmakers weigh whether these sentences can be revisited.