Dylann Roof Doesn't Want a Jury Trial

Dylann Roof appears to believe that a federal judge will be more inclined to spare his life than 12 members of the public. The 22-year-old, who could face the death penalty if found guilty of massacring nine people in a historic black church in South Carolina a year ago, filed a legal brief Thursday offering to waive his right to a jury trial and be tried and sentenced by the court, reports the Post and Courier. The notice, however, states that defense lawyers have been told that "the government will not consent to waive jury at either stage of this case," USA Today notes. Roof's trial on 33 federal charges, including hate crime charges, is set to begin on Nov. 7. (Last year, Roof's lawyer said he wanted to plead guilty to all 33 charges but couldn't until he knew what penalty the government sought.)