Hearing dates set in Kristin Smart murder trial
SALINAS, Calif. – Monterey County Superior Court announced that the next hearing for the People vs. Flores trial will be next week for pre-trial motions.
The hearings will be held from June 6 to 10 in Salinas. After three weeks of jury selection, the trial is set to begin July 6 with opening statements.
This will be the first time public hearings have been held in the case since April.
Paul Flores will be on trial for the murder of Kristin Smart. Both were Cal Poly students in May 1996 when Smart disappeared. For 25 years, Flores was considered the only person of interest in the disappearance. He was arrested and booked into San Luis Obispo County jail on April 13, 2021.
Flores' father, Ruben Flores, was also arrested and is charged for being an accessory in the crime.
The following trial schedule was released on Tuesday, May 31st:
| June 6-10 | Pretrial: Motions in Limine |
| June 13-17 | Juror Questionnaires |
| June 20-24 | Jury Selection - Paul Flores |
| June 27 - July 1 | Jury Selection - Ruben Flores |
| July 5 | No trial activity |
| July 6 a.m. | Opening Statements - Paul Flores |
| July 6 p.m. | Opening Statements - Ruben Flores |
| July 7 and onward | Presentation of Evidence |
This case was moved out of San Luis Obispo County in April, granting a motion that was filed by the Paul Flores defense team in March.
Monterey County Judge Jennifer O'Keefe was selected to preside over the high-profile trial in early May.
The last trial to be moved out of San Luis Obispo County also was shifted to Monterey County.
In 2001, Rex Krebs stood trial for the murders of Rachel Newhouse and Aundria Crawford in 1998 and 1999. Krebs was convicted of both murders and was sentenced with the death penalty.
