Patrick Crusius appears in court for Walmart shooting hearing, judge says he will issue scheduling order by the end of the month

Update: During the hearing, the judge stated that he would put out a scheduling order by the end of the month.

The court will schedule a discovery hearing for Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 9 AM.

The defense team spent some time during today's hearing discussing their motion filed September 9. The prosecution argued they needed more time to respond to certain aspects of the motion and to produce certain materials requested by the defense.

Update: Watch the hearing live below.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A hearing is scheduled for today in the case against Patrick Crusius, the accused gunman in the 2019 Walmart mass shooting that killed 23 people. Crusius is set to appear in state court for the first time since his arraignment in 2019.

The judge set today's hearing to learn more about the status of the case and where the defense and prosecution are at.

A few days ago, defense attorneys for Crusius have filed a motion seeking the dismissal of charges or the removal of the death penalty as a possible punishment. They argue that repeated misconduct by the El Paso District Attorney's Office has violated Crusius’ rights. At the beginning of today's hearing, the judge brought up the motion, stating that he would set aside time at the end of the hearing to discuss the motion. The allegations involve multiple administrations, including improper contact with witnesses, violations of a court-ordered gag order, and suppression of evidence favorable to the defense. Prosecutors have not yet responded to the defense’s claims in court.

Crusius has already been sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms in federal prison after pleading guilty to hate crimes and weapons charges.

During today’s hearing District Judge Sam Medrano is expected to address these new allegations and set a timeline for the state trial.

Stay with ABC-7 for updates on this developing story.