Rapist Gets New Trial Date in Theft Case
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PLANT CITY, Fla. — Lawrence Singleton, driven out of California after serving a prison term for raping a teen-age girl and hacking off her forearms, will be tried on a petty theft charge July 30, a judge ruled Friday.
Singleton, 62, of Tampa, Fla., said nothing during the two-minute hearing and departed quickly to avoid reporters.
Judge Debra Behnke rescheduled the trial from June 25 at the request of Singleton’s lawyer.
Singleton, who pleaded not guilty to the charge last month, was arrested in Brandon, Fla., after a drugstore security guard allegedly spotted him tearing a $9.98 camera from its package.
Singleton was released from a California prison in 1987 amid angry protests after serving eight years and four months of a 14-year sentence for raping a teen-ager and hacking off her arms below the elbow. His one-year parole ended in 1988.
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