NORWICH – Accused child murderer George Ford Jr. will be making his final appearance in court today before he’s scheduled to appear begin his jury trial in February.

District Attorney Joseph A. McBride said he had not yet received an expert witness list from the defense and said he requested the hearing to either obtain one or have the court prohibit the defense from calling any experts to testify.

“We have a right to know what experts the defense may be calling so we can have time to adjust and prepare,” said McBride.

Ford’s hired attorney, Randel Scharf of Cooperstown, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Scharf recently defended convicted murderer Peter M. Wlasiuk. A jury found Wlasiuk guilty for the second degree murder of his wife in September and he was sentenced to the maximum of 25 years to life.

McBride said he decided to push the issue because jury selection in the case is scheduled to begin in just over a week, on Feb. 2.

The hearing will begin at 4:15 p.m. today at the Chenango County Courthouse.

County Commissioner of Mary C. Weidman said 450 juror summons had been mailed out two weeks ago to prospective jurors, and that 150 would be called each day of the jury selection until a panel was selected or the pool exhausted.

Ford, 43, of Piscataway, N.J., is charged with the second degree murder in the July 2007 suspicious death of his 12-year-old baby-sitter, Shyanne A. Somers of South Otselic.