Case Files

This Week in Court: Five Cases to Watch, September 13–19, 2026

Published September 11, 2026

A note before you read: this is a true account of real people and a real crime. We tell it with care — centered on the victims, grounded in the record, and without gratuitous detail.

Court calendars can move. A hearing can be delayed, a courtroom can change, and an unpublished start time can stay unpublished until the last moment.

This guide covers five court cases for September 13–19, 2026, with sourced dates and the narrow question before each court. September 15 update: Reiner’s next hearing is October 7; the Pan Am case awaits a confirmed replacement trial schedule. Other entries retain their earlier source checks. A pretrial hearing is not a trial. A status conference is not a verdict. A sentencing date is not a sentence already imposed.

Every unresolved charge remains an allegation. Every person facing an unresolved charge is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court. Check the current Court Calendar before relying on any date.

Nick Reiner: What can happen at a post-indictment pretrial?

The Los Angeles County District Attorney identifies Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner as the two people whose deaths are at issue. The office says a grand-jury indictment against Nick Reiner was unsealed in August. The charges are allegations, and Reiner is presumed innocent.

The District Attorney’s September 15 update lists a Wednesday, October 7 motions hearing, in Department 108 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The time has not been publicly verified. Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty; if convicted as charged, Reiner faces life without parole.

The court can address scheduling and other steps needed before trial. The hearing does not decide guilt, punishment, or the result of a future trial. Watch for new dates, pretrial issues raised by either side, and any later order clarifying the path to trial.

Pan Am Flight 103: Has a replacement trial date been confirmed?

The federal case is United States v. Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi. The Justice Department maintains a case-information page for victims, loved ones, and the public.

The Justice Department’s earlier notice scheduled a September 15 status hearing. Associated Press reported on September 15 that the judge was considering January 19 for jury selection, subject to checking prospective juror availability. This is a reported proposal, not a confirmed replacement trial date.

Watch for a court-confirmed schedule. The pending charges remain allegations; the scheduling discussion is not a verdict or a sentence.

Read a case like the court does. Get the free evidence-reading guide—a plain-language framework for separating allegations, proof, and verdicts. Get the free guide.

Angelo Smith: What can a pretrial conference decide?

The Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts docket lists pending felony charges against Angelo Smith in Case No. CR-26-714090-A. Those charges are allegations, and Smith is presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty.

A pretrial conference is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern in Room 17-B before Judge Jennifer O’Donnell. Court settings can change, so confirm the docket before relying on the date or time.

A pretrial conference is an interim proceeding that may address scheduling, motions, and other steps before trial. It is not a trial or verdict. Watch for any trial date, motion ruling, plea, or other disposition reflected in a later docket entry.

Lewis Santiago: Sentencing is scheduled, but it has not happened yet

Connecticut’s Division of Criminal Justice says Lewis Santiago pleaded guilty in July to felony murder and criminal possession of a firearm. The office identifies Tyrese Blue Jr. as the person who died in the 2023 shooting.

Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, in New Haven Superior Court. The official release reviewed for this edition did not publish a start time. The plea agreement calls for an expected 35-year sentence, but that is an expected outcome—not a sentence already imposed.

The court can impose the sentence and enter the related judgment. Watch for the sentence the judge actually imposes, any conditions stated on the record, and the final written judgment.

Victor Pérez-Fernández: Keep the guilty pleas separate

The Drug Enforcement Administration says Victor J. Pérez-Fernández pleaded guilty in June to taking part in a charged drug-trafficking conspiracy and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The federal case concerns the killing of Puerto Rico Police Sergeant Eliezer Ramos-Vélez. The official release describes guilty pleas by several defendants, but the counts are not identical. This edition does not assign another defendant’s plea to Pérez-Fernández.

Sentencing for Pérez-Fernández is scheduled for Friday, September 18, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The official release did not publish a start time.

The court can decide Pérez-Fernández’s sentence for the offenses to which he pleaded guilty. The hearing does not decide punishment or legal responsibility for the other defendants. Watch for the sentence imposed, the wording of the written judgment, and later records concerning the remaining cases.

What these dates can—and cannot—tell us

Pretrial and status hearings usually address procedure, scheduling, or motions. They do not prove a charge. A sentencing hearing follows a plea or conviction, but the sentence is not final until the court imposes it.

This edition covers Sunday, September 13, through Saturday, September 19. The original reporting cutoff was September 11, Pacific Time. The Reiner and Pan Am sections were updated September 15; the other entries retain their original checks. A published date is something to watch, not a promise that the event will occur exactly as first listed.

For the current source-linked schedule, return to the Cassian Creed Court Calendar.

Sources

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