PEORIA, Ill. (WAND)- Jurors will see video interviews of Yingying Zhang's friends and teachers during the first day of Brendt Christensen's sentencing, prosecutors said Monday.
Prosecutors plan to call Yingying Zhang's fiance to the stand and play those recorded interviews, they told Judge James Shadid during discussions of defense motions Monday morning.
They also plan to call Zhang's father to the stand Tuesday and play a video interview of Zhang's mother.
The sentencing portion of the trial begins Monday afternoon.
Christensen's defense took issue with the fact those recorded interviews had been cut into clips, which they have not yet seen.
"This is ridiculous," said attorney Elisabeth Pollock. "I don't know what's in these clips."
The defense also took issue with English translations of those interviews, arguing for real-time interpretations by a court-approved interpreter.
Judge Shadid said he will allow prosecutors to play those clips and use the prepared translations.
