Pang Arson-Murder Trial Delayed Again

The trial for Martin Pang, charged with arson and murder in a January 1995 warehouse fire that killed four firefighters, has been delayed again.

At a King County Superior Court hearing Friday, Judge Larry Jordan and lawyers for both sides agreed the trial won’t begin until after the state Supreme Court reviews Jordan’s earlier ruling that Pang can stand trial for murder in the firefighters’ deaths.

The high court on Thursday set a hearing for April 8, just one day after Pang’s Superior Court trial had been scheduled to begin.

Tim Dole, one of Pang’s attorneys, said a trial date won’t be set until after a Supreme Court ruling. Trial isn’t likely to start before June, he said.

Spokesman Dan Donohoe of the King County prosecutor’s office said: “The goal of this office is to have a trial date scheduled as soon as we can, and we’re hoping that we’ll have a favorable ruling.”

In the meantime, lawyers are waiting to hear back from the high court on whether they can proceed with scheduling pre-trial motions on evidence and other issues.

The prosecutor’s office has charged Pang, 41, with arson and four counts of first-degree murder in the Jan. 5, 1995, fire that destroyed his parents’ frozen-food warehouse.