Wabash County defense attorney Alan J. Zimmerman appeared before Kosciusko County Superior Court I Judge Duane Huffer today without his client, Bill Warren, for a pre-trial conference hearing.

Warren, 38, of North Manchester, has been charged with 27 felonies including criminal confinement, strangulation, sexual battery, battery resulting in serious injury to a person under the age of 14, intimidation, theft and resisting law enforcement. (See related story)

In today’s pre-trial conference, the defense asked to eliminate certain evidences, including books and photographs, and for exceptions related to the rape shield law. The law limits the ability of the defendant’s counsel to introduce the accuser’s sexual history as evidence during a rape trial.

In the hearing, Judge Huffer made it clear to both the prosecution and the defense that no one will be referred to as a “victim” during the course of the jury trial. Instead, all witnesses shall be addressed by his or her surname.

Warren was initially set to stand trial in February but having hired Wabash County defense attorney Alan Zimmerman in January to replace public defender Jay Rigdon, a continuance was granted. The new three-day trial is set to begin at 9 a.m. each day, Sept. 18-20, in Kosciusko County Superior Court 1.