What does it mean when a change of venue takes place in Mower County Third Judicial District Court?.

Wednesday, May 16, 2001

What does it mean when a change of venue takes place in Mower County Third Judicial District Court?

Answer: it means District Judge Donald E. Rysavy and court reporter Gary Ofstedahl are spending Monday through Thursday in Hastings.

Rysavy ordered the change of venue because of pretrial publicity given the June 30, 2000, double homicide at the Downtown Motel in Austin.

The jury selection process began Monday morning in the Dakota County Courthouse.

Seven Mower County Sheriff’s Department and Austin Police Department personnel are providing security.

In addition, local peace officers are expected to be called to testify when the trial begins.

Mower County Court Administrator Patricia Ball is coordinating the trial events with her counterpart in Dakota County.

Because of the lengthy jury selection process with three defendants being tried together, Dakota County has a jury manager to help expedite the process.

Other trials have been transferred from Mower County District Court to other jurisdictions, but this trial is expected to be the most expensive of its kind for Mower County.

Ball is keeping track of expenses as they accumulate. She will be billed by Dakota County for other expenses at the conclusion of the trial.

The judge and his court reporter must remain in Hastings throughout the trial proceedings and to avoid the hour-and-20-minutes one-way commute from Austin to Hastings. That means motel accommodations for them Monday through Thursday. When trial is recessed Friday, they will come home until returning the following Monday.

Each of the three defendants in the murder case has a public defender.

Vernon Neal Powers, 28, Scott Perry Christian, 30, and David Kenneth Christian, 29, all of St. Paul, are charged with premeditated first-degree murder in the shooting deaths June 30, 2000, of two St. Paul men and the wounding of another at the Downtown Motel in Austin.

Juan Vincente Ramirez, 41, and Raul Pedro Guiterrez, 26, both of St. Paul, were shot to death. Benjamin Moreno Hernandez, 31, also of St. Paul, was wounded in the robbery-killings crimes.

Jenea Larae-Nichole Weinand, 19, of St. Paul, will be tried separately in connection with the double-homicide.

Call Lee Bonorden at 434-2232 or e-mail him at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com.