AKRON, Ohio — The man accused in the deaths of nine people in two separate Akron fires was back in court Friday morning as the court wrapped up a number of outstanding motions connected to the case.
The court met to assign dates to its next proceedings after Ford was ruled competent to stand trial earlier this week. Ford's attorneys have also pressed to dismiss the death penalty as a potential sentence, if he is convicted.
Ford's attorneys also requested permission to provide their client with evidence tied to the case, including hard copies of police reports and written documents. Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Christine Croce denied that request and left it upon the state and defense attorneys to come to an agreement.
"You're entitled to know what's in those police reports, you're not entitled to copies of those police reports," Croce told Ford after he argued the ruling.
Ford is charged in setting two Fultz Street fires that caused nine deaths, including a family of seven in May 2017. That fire killed Dennis Huggins, Angela Boggs, and their five children, Cameron, Alivia, Kylle, Daisia and Jered. A sixth child, who was 18, was not home at the time of the fire.
The previous fire happened about a year earlier, and claimed the lives of Lindell Lewis and Gloria Jean Hart.
Last week, Ford was found competent to stand trial after the testimony of multiple doctors.
Judge Croce wrote that 60-year-old Stanley Ford "does not suffer from any mental disease or defect that would impair his ability to understand the nature and objectives of the proceedings against him or assist his defense."
Back in November, Ford argued with Judge Croce that he didn’t want a competency hearing and was ready to begin his jury trial. He also complained that the prison food is “horrible.” You can watch that exchange in the video below:
Jury selection is expected to begin Feb. 18.
Ford has maintained his innocence.
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