COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – The trial for a Coeur d’Alene man who allegedly planned to attack several north Idaho churches has been pushed back by a year.
US District Court filings state that both federal prosecutors and the defense attorneys for alleged ISIS sympathizer Alexander Mercurio have agreed to move the proceedings from May 28, 2024 to May 5, 2025.
Mercurio’s team has requested discovery from the prosecution according to the filings, which the state has agreed to on a rolling basis.
“The Government shall, through the exercise of due diligence, provide discovery…to the Defendant in an ongoing fashion, producing discovery materials to the defense as soon as practicable,” court documents state.
Mercurio waived his right to a speedy trial in the interest of better preparing for legal proceedings according to the filings.
“The court may exclude a period of time from the speedy trial period where it finds that ‘the ends of justice served by taking such action outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial,’” court documents state.
US Justice Department attorneys claim that Mercurio planned to commit a terrorist attack against local churches after being radicalized online before being intercepted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.
“The defendant allegedly pledged loyalty to ISIS and sought to attack people attending churches in Idaho, a truly horrific plan which was detected and thwarted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force,”
The trial will take place in the US District Court for the District of Idaho in Coeur d’Alene.
