Preston Lord murder case: Judge warns Taylor Sherman of high trial risk in settlement hearing

PHOENIX - A settlement hearing that was held at a Downtown Phoenix courtroom on Sept. 11 provided a rare look behind closed doors at the legal proceedings surrounding the murder of Preston Lord at a Halloween party three years ago.

The backstory:

Lord was severely beaten by a group of teenagers at an October 2023 Halloween party in Queen Creek. The 16-year-old died in the hospital two days later, and his death was ruled a homicide from multiple blunt force injuries.

Lord's case brought a series of acts of teen violence in the East Valley to light, leading to ordinance changes in several cities, such as the banning of brass knuckles. It also led to the passing of "Preston's Law" at the state level, which created harsher penalties for people convicted of "swarming," when multiple people attack a single victim.

In May 2025, William Hines pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Hines also made plea agreements in other cases against him at the time.

Big picture view:

The settlement hearing involving Taylor Sherman is not a trial, but rather a chance to avoid one. It also offered a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes.

Video from the courtroom captured the moment after both parties and a judge huddled behind closed doors, looking for a settlement instead of a lengthy, costly, and exhausting trial.

What The Judge Said:

The judge in charge of the hearing is not the trial judge, and admitted he does not know much about the case. However, he offered this perspective on what a trial would look like.

"Because going to trial seems like it carries to me from what I’ve seen so far seems like it carries a lot of risk that the jury will find the state has proved unreasonable doubt that you were responsible for this murder," Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jim Knapp said.

Dig deeper:

The judge highlighted the high risk, especially considering the evidence involved in the case. That evidence includes video Sherman allegedly shot when Lord was being beaten, as well as a text message where Sherman allegedly wrote, "I knocked that kid out though."

Knapp told Sherman that passing on a plea deal could come at his own peril, essentially letting him know that a conviction is likely in his opinion.

"Going to trial and risking a jury would look at your text messages in that video and find the unreasonable doubt that you did, and you were involved in that, you are responsible for that murder, and then you’re spending the rest of your life in prison. That would be it. That would be..that would be a very high risk choice to make," Knapp said.

Lord's family spoke outside the courtroom regarding the evidence and the ongoing legal process.

"Text messages that were sent videos that were sent out. They were all there and what role they played. We do not know yet, but we need to find out what role had and they could be held culpable for what they did," Tony Reich, Lord's grandfather, said.

What's next:

Prosecutors have not offered Sherman a plea deal at this point. Another major proceeding, called a complex case hearing, is scheduled for next week, where four of the defendants will meet with prosecutors to decide their next moves.

Meanwhile, the first trial for Jacob Meisner is set for Oct. 1, though his legal team is asking for a six-month continuance.

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