What happens if a defendant dies before or during a trial?

[GPV]

Does everything just stop and life goes on for the rest of us as if nothing ever happened?

[PJMcK]

1. Saves money

Saves time.

[GPV]

2. Well there's that

[awesomerwb1]

3. Thoughts and prayers.

[rsdsharp]

4. In a criminal case, yes. You can't prosecute a corpse.

In a civil case, the decedent’s estate would be substituted as the defendant.

[Irish_Dem]

7. We should make an exception for Trump.

Wheel the coffin in the courtroom and keep going with the trial.

[Lochloosa]

8. Do you know how bad that would smell after one day.

KFC doesn't decompose well.

[Irish_Dem]

9. Put plenty of mothballs in the coffin.

[Meowmee]

11. Lol

[RockRaven]

10. Well, you CAN -- Pope Formosus was -- but there's not much point...

And while a 9th Century church trial in Rome ought not count as precedent in 21st Century America, Alito and Company might decide otherwise -- if the dead person was a Democrat, anyway.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaver_Synod

[GPV]

12. Thanks!

[royable]

5. Asking for a friend? n/t

[Irish_Dem]

14. Understandably, everyone is all over the map today.

Trump PTSD group therapy time.
We need it.

[GPV]

25. Something like that

[Ocelot II]

6. There's a funeral and he gets buried or otherwise disposed of.

The case goes away if there's nobody to prosecute, but TFG's cases involve co-conspirators so their prosecutions would continue - so we'd find out the whole story sooner or later.

[GPV]

15. Thank you. I do wonder about co-conspirators

[inthewind21]

13. The

answer should be obvious. Ever heard of the trial of a dead defendant? If convicted, do you dig up the defendant and sent the corpse to jail?

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. Party at Dave & Buster's? Nt

[Johnny2X2X]

17. Freee tacos at all Taco bells!

A celebration!

[Meowmee]

18. I think the case is dismissed

And since not proven they are declared innocent maybe.

[WarGamer]

19. Oh a chance for WarGamer to recite history...

Pope Formosus died in 896 and political enemies had the body exhumed and displayed in Court and tried for crimes at the urging of Pope Stephen VI.

[dsc]

20. The founder of Enron died while appealing his conviction

the conviction was voided.

[GPV]

23. I'd forgotten that.

[gratuitous]

24. As I recall, Ken Lay died before he could be sentenced

And that meant his conviction was mooted, as if it never happened.

[Tomconroy]

21. The case actually gets dismissed.

Happened to me once. I put it in the books as a win.

[usonian]

22. Trial at Bernie's (not that one). Cheers, NT