Sarah Grace Patrick Trial Continued to August

Sarah Grace Patrick was supposed to go to trial today.

The 17-year-old accused of killing her mother and stepfather in Georgia has been sitting in custody waiting for this day. Her defense attorney, Miss Williams, said she was ready. The state said they were ready. The judge had pushed everyone hard to meet this January 5th trial date, holding regular conference calls, keeping both sides on track.

But there's a problem. A big one.

The defense retained a forensic neuropsychologist named Dr. Robert Schaefer back in August. He's completed his evaluation of Sarah Grace Patrick. Multiple visits. Full assessment. But he hasn't delivered the written report. And without that report, nobody knows what the defense strategy actually is.

So everyone agreed. August 3rd.

That's seven months from now. Seven more months Sarah Grace Patrick will spend in custody waiting for her day in court.

What This Tells Us

When a defense retains a forensic neuropsychologist, they're building something. Mental health defense. Diminished capacity. Some explanation for what happened that goes beyond simple intent. The evaluation is done. The expert has his conclusions. The defense just hasn't committed them to paper yet.

The state prosecutor said something telling: they need time to "combat any and all defenses" the defense is putting forward. They know something significant is coming. They just don't know what it says.

Neither does the judge. Neither do we.

The Judge's Dilemma

I'll give this judge credit for something. He didn't want to grant this continuance. He said it out loud. He's been pushing this case hard, and he told Sarah Grace Patrick directly that he doesn't want her "to sit where she doesn't need to sit."

But he also recognized reality. If March isn't realistic, and both sides admitted it wasn't, then setting a March date just means everyone comes back in two months having the same conversation. That wastes resources. It wastes time. It leaves Sarah Grace Patrick in limbo.

So August it is. And the judge made one thing crystal clear: that date is not moving again. Short of "some true just legal issue" requiring it, they're picking a jury August 3rd.

▶️ WATCH THE HEARING Sarah Grace Patrick Pre-Trial Hearing

What To Watch For

That neuropsychology report is the whole ballgame now. When it finally gets turned over to the state, we'll have a much clearer picture of what the defense is building. Are they going for insanity? Diminished capacity? Something that mitigates without fully excusing?

For a 17-year-old accused of killing her mother and stepfather, the stakes could not be higher. What Dr. Schaefer found, and what he put in that report, may determine whether this case ends in a life sentence or something else entirely.

August 3rd. Mark it.