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Thursday court appearances canceled for Dennis and Cynthia Perkins in child sex crimes case
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LIVINGSTON PARISH - The trial of Melanie Curtin was one of the most high-profile in recent Livingston parish history.
The looming trials for Dennis and Cynthia Perkins - with their tabloid elements - are set to be as high-profile, if not more. A pre-trial hearing was set for Dennis Perkins' case today, but the Curtin case is why it was scrapped.
Attorney Jarrett Ambeau says it was decided just a couple of days ago to cancel today's pretrial hearing. That's because the state was busy prosecuting Melanie Curtin's trial just last week. Jarrett Ambeau says there hasn't been enough time to review the evidence gathered by the state on his client.
Dennis and Cynthia Perkins have been behind bars since their arrest in November 2019. Prosecutors charged them with a combined 150 counts of sex crimes, including some against children and animals.
They will be tried separately.
Ambeau says there was no new information to be presented for today's anticipated hearing. He says it would've taken days to examine the evidence and time was scarce given the Curtin trial and the preparations necessary for it.
"I made the assertion in open court last time that I don't think the attorney general's office even knows the full measure of the evidence they have," Ambeau said. "Either way, in favor of my client or against him, I think That's why we're going to take a measure of that."
Even though Curtin's conviction and life sentence are still a fresh memory, Ambeau says he does not anticipate negotiating a plea deal for his client, even after some talk of that.
"Maybe there's some room in there to have some agreement and avoid what is a very difficult, will be a very difficult trial," Ambeau said. "And I believe that both sides made a good faith effort added, we were just unable to come to some agreement."
Cynthia Perkins' trial is set for Feb. 14. Dennis Perkins will be tried in May.
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