Defense in Arizona Sweat Lodge Case Wants it Moved
A judge overseeing the case of a 2009 sweat lodge ceremony that turned deadly ruled Thursday that evidence of past ceremonies led by the defendant and the conditions of the participants won’t be allowed at trial.
The ruling limited the testimony to the 2009 event near Sedona that led to the deaths of three people, potentially shortening what was expected to be a months-long trial.
James Arthur Ray has pleaded not guilty to three counts of manslaughter.
Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Warren Darrow heard three days of testimony in November on a defense motion to exclude evidence of other ceremonies that Ray held at the Angel Valley Retreat Center he rented.