The federal judge who has taken over a cross-country murder-for-hire case

BURLINGTON – The federal judge who has taken over a cross-country murder-for-hire case said the trial is still planned for September and will be conducted in Burlington. U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss met with lawyers for both sides for the first time since she was named to replace Chief Federal Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford on the case that stems from a killing in the Northeast Kingdom six years ago. Reiss questioned whether the five full weeks that had been set aside by Crawford for the criminal trial of Serhat D. Gumrukcu, 41, of Los Angeles, were still needed. Gumrukcu is the man police say ordered the hit of Gregory Davis, 49, of Danville.