Plea deal talks ongoing for Cleveland kidnap suspect Ariel Castro

Plea deal talks ongoing for Cleveland kidnap suspect Ariel Castro

From Associated Press  July 24, 2013

CLEVELAND — Prosecutors and lawyers for a Cleveland man accused of holding three women captive in his home for more than a decade signaled Wednesday that they are talking about a possible plea deal.

With a trial less than two weeks away, there was no mention of whether the prosecutor will seek the death penalty. Attorneys for Ariel Castro, 53, say a deal is dependent on taking the death penalty off the table.

“My understanding is that the parties have discussed possible pleas and that you're working to see if that would be an effective resolution, is that correct?” Judge Michael Russo asked.

Both sides responded “yes” without elaboration and left the courtroom without commenting. Last month, the judge had mentioned the possibility of a plea deal raised by the defense....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-ariel-castro-plea-deal-possible-20130724,0,850507.story