Judge to decide timeline for Cynthia Perkins’ trial

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - District Court Judge Erika Sledge has moved up a hearing to decide whether the trial for Cynthia Perkins will still start next Tuesday.

The hearing, initially scheduled for next Monday, has been moved to 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 8.

The Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal yesterday agreed to allow the upcoming trial for Cynthia’s husband, Dennis Perkins, to be postponed. That is because his attorney is scheduled to start another trial on the same day.

Dennis Perkins, a former high-ranking Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputy, is accused of multiple charges including rape and producing child pornography.

His former school teacher wife, Cynthia, is also charged in the case and is set to be tried separately.

Prosecutors with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office said late Wednesday since Dennis’ trial is delayed, they hope to start Cynthia’s trial next week.

Her attorney, James Spokes, had already filed a motion to have her trial date continued. The judge was supposed to take up that motion next Monday.

Judge Sledge previously ruled that Dennis and Cynthia could be tried separately. Prosecutors, who wanted a combined trial, asked the First Circuit to overturn that decision but the court did not.

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