Posted: 10/19/04
Meyer trial set to start next week
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
The trial for Justin Meyer will begin on Tuesday, October 26 at 9 a.m. at Allamakee County District Court in Waukon, Iowa.
A pretrial hearing will take place the previous day.
Meyer, who is from New Albin, Iowa, is charged in Iowa with kidnapping his former girlfriend and their child from the womanís home in Caledonia on December 8, 2003.
That charge is tied to the death of Mark Sullivan of Caledonia, who Meyer allegedly shot and killed during the alleged kidnapping incident.
The prosecution of Meyer on the kidnapping case will be a cooperative effort between Patricia Houlihan, Iowa Assistant Attorney General, Area Prosecutions; and David Voigt, Assistant Attorney General, Minnesota Attorney Generalís Office.
Houlihan said that a Minnesota attorney is participating in the prosecution because part of the crime occurred in Minnesota and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension processed both crime scenes.
Meyer is represented by public defenders Paul Kaufmann and Steve Hodge.
The judge is John Bauercamper.
The trial has been postponed three times. Meyer is currently in the Fayette County Jail in West Union, Iowa.
After the Iowa trial, Meyer will be extradited to Minnesota, where he faces two counts of second degree murder in the death of Sullivan.
Houlihan said that she will participate in any Minnesota criminal trial involving this matter.
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