The Czech Republic Has Set a Date for Randy Blythe’s Manslaughter Trial

After officially being indicted on manslaughter charges a couple of weeks ago — and a completely meaningless comment from the U.S. Justice Department last week — The Prague Post is reporting [via Metal Injection] that the Czech government has acted swiftly (for once!) in setting Feburary 4th, 2013 as the start date for Randy Blythe’s manslaughter trial. Said court spokeswoman Martina Lhotáková:

We have issued Randy Blythe with a court summons, and he is obliged to attend the hearing in person. The trial will determine the culpability of Blythe, and his potential punishment.

Blythe has maintained ever since his release this summer that he would fly back to the Czech Republic to stand trial rather than attempting to evade the law. We fully expect that he’ll remain true to his word.

This is really, really scary. It’s entirely possible that Randy could end up in Czech jail for a very, very long time and that Lamb of God will be over. Blythe could spend ten years in prison if convicted.

If the Czech government’s handling of this situation so far is any indication, we should be prepared for a long, drawn-out trial.