Christopher Darnell Jones Jr, who has been charged with ten counts in relation to the Nov. 13 shooting on Grounds, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday at the Albemarle County Circuit Court.
Judge Andrew Sneathren confirmed with Jones that he had been given opportunity to consult with his legal representation and ask questions before finalizing his decision to waive the hearing. Sneathren said Jones’s decision was “knowingly and intelligently made.”
The purpose of a preliminary hearing is to examine witnesses and evidence to determine whether the case will next be assessed before a grand jury. If a defendant waives their right to a preliminary hearing, the case is next heard by the grand jury.
Jones faces ten total charges — three counts of second degree murder, two counts of malicious bodily injury and five counts of the use of a firearm in a first felony offense. Three students died in the shooting — football players and University students Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry. Two more were injured.
This is Jones’s first court appearance since his arraignment Nov. 16, where he was formally charged with three counts of second degree murder and three counts of possession of a handgun in the commission of a felony.
Jones’s next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2 at 9:30 a.m. at the Albemarle County Circuit Court, where he will appear in front of a grand jury.
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