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Trial set for ex-Fullerton cops in homeless beating case
A trial date was set Friday for October 18, 2013 for two former Fullerton police officers in connection with the beating death of Kelly Thomas. (Photo: Handcuffed ex-Fullerton police officer Manuel Ramos (R) was charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and Cpl. Jay Cicinelli (L) charged with involuntary manslaughter and use of excessive force for the death of Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic homeless man who died after altercation with several police officers, during arraignment in Orange County Superior Court on Sept. 21, 2011 in Santa Ana.)
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Paul Rodriguez-Pool/Getty Images
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Footage from a security camera that shows much of the altercation between Fullerton police officers and Kelly Thomas at the Fullerton bus depot played during a preliminary hearing for the death of Thomas, on May 7, 2012 in Santa Ana.
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Pool/Getty Images
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Ron Thomas, Kelly Thomas' father, right, speaks to the media following a preliminary hearing in which a judge agreed to uphold charges against two Fullerton police officers charged with the death of his son.
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Joshua Sudock, Orange County Register, Pool photo
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SANTA ANA , CA - SEPTEMBER 21, 2012: Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas demonstrates how Fullerton, California police officer Manuel Ramos confronted Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic homeless man who died after the altercation with several police officers, during a news conference to announce that two Fullerton, California police officers were charged in connection with the death on September 21, 2011 in Santa Ana, California. Officer Manuel Ramos was charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, while Cpl. Jay Cicinelli was charged with involuntary manslaughter and use of excessive force. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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Demonstrators march in 2011 to protest the death of Kelly Thomas, a homeless man who died in July 2011 after an altercation with several Fullerton police officers. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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A bloody picture of Kelly Thomas drew audible gasps from the audience during a preliminary hearing for Fullerton police officer Manuel Ramos and Fullerton police officer Jay Cicinelli in the beating death of the homeless Fullerton man Monday, April 7, 2012.
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Joshua Sudock, pool photo, Orange County Register
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An October trial date was set Friday for two ex-Fullerton police officers charged in connection with the beating death of a Kelly Thomas, a mentally-ill, homeless man.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said Manuel Anthony Ramos, 39, and Jay Patrick Cicinelli, 41 will face a jury trial on October 18.
"Would I like the trial today, yes," said Ron Thomas, Kelly Thomas' father. "But it's going to happen so I'm OK with that."
The two former police officers appeared in court Friday on a severance motion by Cicinelli's attorney. Rackauckas said the motion was denied and the two men will appear next for a pre-trial hearing August 30.
Manuel Ramos previously pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Kelly Thomas. Jay Cicinelli also pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter and excessive force. Both remain free on bail.
A third former Fullerton police officer charged in the case, Joe Wolfe, faces involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the beating death of Kelly Thomas.
Orange County District Attorney Rackauckas said he’d like to combine Wolfe's case with the other two officers' charged for one trial.
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Ron Thomas said he wants that to happen too.
"But he [Wolfe] isn't going away, he's going to go to trial too," said Thomas.
Kelly Thomas died five days after a violent confrontation with six officers who were responding to reports of car burglaries at the Fullerton Transportation Center in July 2011.
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