An plea bargain is still possible for accused kidnapper Ariel Castro to plead guilty to some charges in order to avoid a public trial, lawyers for both sides said Wednesday in court.

The former bus driver is accused of raping Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight, and keeping them captive in his Cleveland, Ohio, home for about a decade. Castro, 53, pleaded not guilty to 977 charges, including 512 counts of kidnapping and 446 counts of rape.

DeJesus, 23, Michelle Knight, 32, and Amanda Berry, 27 were freed from Castro's on May 6, along Berry's 6-year-old daughter whom he fathered during captivity. His public trial is scheduled to start on Aug. 5 but it could still be avoided, according to Reuters.

At a hearing on Wednesday, Cuyahoga County Judge Michael Russo asked lawyers for both sides if they were still working toward a possible plea agreement to resolve the case. They replied "yes." Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said he was ready to go to trial on Aug. 5. However, Castro's lawyers said they would not have enough time to review the evidence against their client.

"How are we supposed to defend this gentleman?" Castro's lawyer Craig Weintraub asked the judge.

Castro kept his head down during most of the hearing on Wednesday and quietly answered "yes" to questions from the judge, according to Newsday.

Castro is also accused of aggravated murder for beating and starving one of the women, ultimately forcing her to miscarry. The charge could carry the death penalty.

A plea agreement would also avoid the three women from testifying in regards to what they experienced during years of captivity. They disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old. Each said they had accepted a ride from Castro. He was arrested on May 6 within hours after the three women escaped his Cleveland home.

Tags
Ariel castro, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michele knight