After more than two dozen court appearances, Curtis Reeves' attorneys are scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 20, 2017, to argue that Reeves acted in self-defense under Florida's "stand your ground" law when he shot and killed Chad Oulson at a Wesley Chapel movie theater on Jan. 13, 2014.
The court date will mark 1,134 days since the shooting and our news partner The Tampa Bay Times asked the attorneys involved in the case, why has this particular case taken so long to go to trial?
The answer depends on who you ask, but the main reason seems to be the complexity of the case. With 170 witnesses, including expert witnesses, and the amount of evidence, prosecutor Glenn Martin and defense attorney Richard Escobar told the Times the case is moving as it can.
Another reason for delay, Martin said, was the transition of him taking over the case from former Assistant State Attorney Bill Loughery when he retired last summer added an extra six months.
In the meantime, Reeves, who was released from jail on bond in July 2014, remains confined to his Hernando County home with an ankle monitor where he is only allowed to leave for church, the doctor's office, or the grocery store.
As far when the trial will begin, it looks like it may not happen until late 2017 or even 2018.
