Roof Has Death-Penalty Case Hearing Acting as Own Lawyer

Dylann Roof may soon show how hard he intends to fight to save his life as prosecutors seek the death penalty for killing nine black worshippers in a hate crime at a Charleston church.

A judge scheduled a hearing Wednesday in federal court to hear motions before the penalty phase in Roof’s trial starts next week.

Roof is now acting as his own lawyer after letting go of his defense attorneys after a jury convicted him of 33 counts of hate crimes and obstruction of justice earlier this month.

Roof’s lawyers say they think he got rid of them because they wanted to present what Roof thought was embarrassing evidence seeking to get the same jury to spare his life.