Earlier trials sought for two women

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Friday, Dec. 10, 2004 | 8:34 a.m.

Trial dates were set on Thursday for two high profile cases against local women, and in each case there are lawyers involved who say the trials should be starting sooner.

The ex-wife of a Henderson Police sergeant accused of hiring a hitman to kill her former husband had her trial date scheduled for June 13 before District Judge Jackie Glass.

Florela McCorkle, 38, also known as Florela Virginia Martinez, faces charges of solicitation to commit murder and attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon on a police officer, Sgt. Richard McCorkle, who is her ex-husband.

McCorkle's attorney, Steve Stein, was not pleased with the June trial date saying McCorkle has already spent too much time in custody as it is. He asked Glass to see if it would be possible to have a senior judge hear the case and reschedule the trial for a early date.

Stein and Chief Deputy District Attorney David Schwartz agreed, however, that they may strike a deal for McCorkle to plead guilty to lesser charges between now and any possible trial date.

McCorkle is being held on $1 million bail, $500,000 for each count she faces. She remains in custody in Clark County Detention enter.

Investigators say she hired an undercover detective posing as a hitman. Metro Police arrested McCorkle on June 15 after the detective was paid $1,000 during a second meeting. McCorkle is alleged to have given specific orders that Richard McCorkle be shot while in uniform and then mutilated, according to the arrest report.

According to the arrest report, the undercover detective said McCorkle gave him her ex-husband's police identification and handwritten notes detailing her ex-husband's identity, home address, phone numbers, vehicle descriptions, work schedule and the identity of his girlfriend.

The report alleges McCorkle also paid the undercover detective $1,000 and agreed to pay him $10,000 in cash within 90 days of the slaying.

In a separate case, a woman accused of murdering her diabetic daughter had a trial date set for additional crimes she allegedly committed against her daughter.

Cheryl Botzet, also known as Cheryl Musso, had her trial date set for April 11 before District Judge Valorie Vega on charges of child abuse and neglect, performance of an act or neglect of duty with willful or wanton disregard for safety of persons or property and battery with use of a deadly weapon.

Vega's scheduling of the trial date in her court comes only a day after District Judge Sally Loehrer rejected the prosecution's request to have the case consolidated with a murder case against Botzet scheduled for March 14. Botzet faces the charge of murder for the death of 11-year-old Ariel Botzet from ketoacidosis, caused by untreated diabetes, and that trial is scheduled for March.