A judge has denied a request to throw out statements Julie Schenecker made to police after she was arrested for the deaths of her teenage children.

Schenecker, 53, is facing charges of first-degree murder in the 2011 shooting deaths of 16-year-old Calyx and 13-year-old Beau.  

Earlier this month, Schenecker's defense attorneys argued in court that statements she made to police after she was arrested should be thrown out.

Her attorneys said Schenecker was under the influence of alcohol and medication at the time of her arrest. They also argued that the detectives did not ensure she understood her Miranda rights and that she had waived those rights before speaking to her.

However, Circuit Judge Emmett L. Battles ruled that, while he agreed there were moments during the interview when Schenecker was unresponsive and that her speech was sometime slurred, it was clear that Schenecker "voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently waived her Miranda rights" before speaking with detectives.

Schenecker is set to go to trial at the end of the month. Prosecutors recently took the death penalty off the table, saying there was enough evidence to prove Schenecker is mentally ill. She still faces life in prison if convicted.

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