Charleston church shooter seeks trial by court instead of jury

(Reuters) - The white man accused of killing nine black parishioners in a racially motivated attack at a church in South Carolina a year ago said on Thursday he would like to waive his right to a jury trial, opting instead to be tried and sentenced by the court. The court filing said federal prosecutors, who are seeking the death penalty against Dylann Roof over the June 17, 2015, killings, will object to the move. "Counsel for the government has informed defense counsel that the government will not consent to waive jury at either stage of this case," the filing by Roof's attorneys said.

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