Judge Linda Lofthus today set Oct. 18 as the start of the trial of Melissa Huckaby, the woman who faces the death penalty on charges that she kidnapped, raped and killed 8-year-old Sandra Cantu last March.

One of Huckaby’s defense attorney’s, Michael Burt of San Francisco, said he has a federal death penalty trial in Hawaii earlier in 2010 and would unavailable for a trial here until the fall.

Meanwhile, prosecutor Tom Testa said he’d do everything he could to keep the trial in Stockton, though defense attorney can ask for a change of venue and try to have the trial moved to another county.

“My big goal is to keep it in this county,” Testa said.

Huckaby, 28, is scheduled to be back in court at 9 a.m. Feb. 16, when attorneys will discuss how much of the prosecution’s evidence has been shared with defense attorneys up to that point, and perhaps other issues.

Because it’s a death penalty case, Huckaby is entitled to have two attorneys. Public defender Sam Behar is Huckaby’s other attorney, but he was absent today because he has the flu.

Lofthus and the attorneys also agreed on an Oct. 27 court date so they can work out any issues that might arise to make sure the trial is not further delayed.

Sandra disappeared March 27 from the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park on Clover Road, and her body was found in a suitcase April 6 in a dairy lagoon north of town.

Huckaby was arrested April 12, and has been in custody ever since.

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