A who's who of Brevard's most notorious in court Friday
It's a routine procedure that oftenseems like little more than housekeeping.
Still, this Friday's docket sounding at the Moore Justice Center in Viera bring together the majority of the county's most notorious cases from the past few years for scheduling purposes.
Usually docket soundings are held to check on the status of a case, but there may finally be some trial dates set and maybe even a surprise plea. And while it may not rival Batman's rogues gallery, a look at the court calendar reads like a scorecard of recent terrible headlines.
Among the cases being called are the capital murder cases against Jessica McCarty, who telephoned police to tell them she had killed her three small children in March, and registered sex offender Marcus Royal, who police say brutally killed an 80-year-old Cocoa woman and the 59-year-old man who arrived at her home to drive her to church only hours after Royal was released from the county jail.
Royal was also later charged with the 2011 murder of an elderly Rockledge woman.
Both McCarty and Royal face the death penalty if convicted.
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Other cases being called Friday include William Woodward, who admitted to killing two of his neighbors and shooting another 11 times. Woodward's attempt to invoke Florida's Stand Your Ground law was rejected by the court but it appears from court documents that he will try to use self-defense as the reason for the killings.
Woodward had a contentious relationship with neighbors and video and audio from that night shows them taunting, cursing and yelling in the direction of his home. Like McCarty and Royal, Woodward could face the death penalty.
The youngest facing serious charges is 16-year-old Morgan McNeil, who police say was running away with 15-year-old Zane Terryn in June when she allegedly goaded him into firing at a Florida Highway Patrolman who was approaching their vehicle over a broken light. The trooper returned fire killing the boy. She is charged with 2nd-degree murder during the commission of a felony and attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.
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The cases against two accused child molesters are also scheduled to be called Friday. The first is the oft-delayed case against former Edgewood Jr/Sr. High School drama teacher Dennis Turner. Arrested in 2012 for allegedly having a three-year sexual relationship with a student, Turner faces 126 counts of sexual battery on a minor.
Turner's trial was expected to take place during the last week of August but defense attorneys and prosecutors could not agree on the specific wording of instructions to be read to the jury.
The 60-year-old faces up to 30 years in prison.
The case against Barbara Jean McCreary, a 45-year-old Port St. John woman, accused of smoking pot and having sex with a young teen, will also get a Friday status check.
Lucious W. McKay -- attempted murder -- and Jonathan Turnbull -- aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer -- will be also be among the numerous accused looking to schedule cases, clear their names or take their punishment.
Still, there are some names missing.
The Satellite Beach teens who severely beat another with a crowbar? They don't have docket sounding until January.
Contact Torres at 321-242-3684 or at jtorres@floridatoday.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter @johnalbertorres or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FTjohntorres.