Posted: 1/24/06
Meyer faces murder charges here
A man accused in a 2003 murder in Caledonia made his first court appearance on those charges in Caledonia on January 23.
Justin Meyer, 25, was advised of his rights by Third District Court Judge James Fabian in the 30 minute long hearing. A new court date will not be set until his attorney, Carol Weissenborn, has a chance to review the evidence in the case.
Meyer also waived the 120-day requirement for completion of an omnibus hearing.
Meyer was charge on February 25, 2005, with four counts of murder in the first degree and one count of pattern of harassing conduct. A grand jury brought the indictments, which is required for first degree murder charges.
He is accused of killing Mark Sullivan, 24, of Caledonia on December 8, 2003.
Meyer was found guilty of kidnapping in the first degree on November 10, 2004 in Allamakee County District Court in Waukon, IA. That charge stemmed from the same incident in which Meyer kidnapped his former girlfriend and their child after the alleged murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole on November 29, 2004.
The State of Iowa filed documents under the Uniform Detainers Act to allow the temporary transfer of Meyer to Minnesota. He was picked up at the Anamosa State Penitentiary in Anamosa, Iowa, on January 23 by Houston County deputies.
Members of the Meyer and Sullivan families sat on opposite sides of the courtroom on Monday. Justin Meyer was dressed in a T-shirt and blue jeans, and was shackled. There were several deputies in the hallway outside the courtroom. Citizens had to pass through a metal detector to enter the courtroom area.
Weissenborn, the chief public defender of Third District Court in Rochester, filed a motion requesting all the grand jury evidence except for the voting and deliberation. Minnesota Assistant Attorney General David Voight argued against that, stating that only the transcript of witness testimony is to be given out according to Minnesota statute.
Meyer will be housed in Minnesota for the duration of the case, although not necessarily in Houston County, which has a jail space shortage.` If he is convicted, he will go back to Iowa to finish his sentence. He would only serve prison time in Minnesota if he were released there.
While that is unlikely, Houston County attorney Rick Jackson said on January 20 that it is one reason why Meyer needs to be tried for murder in Minnesota.
ěI think justice requires that he be held accountable for taking Mark Sullivanís life,î Jackson said.
Jackson will try the case for Houston County jointly with Voight and Iowa Assistant Attorney General A. Pat Houlihan. Houlihan and Voight also worked together in the kidnapping trial.
Meyer faces four different murder charges: premeditated murder; murder committed during the course of a robbery; murder during the course of a burglary; and murder during the course of kidnapping. Each carries a sentence of life in prison.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com