Vance Boelter gets November trial date after demanding speedy trial
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Vance Boelter appeared in a Hennepin County courtroom, where a judge formally entered a not guilty plea to first-degree murder charges and set a trial date of Nov. 2.
Background on the case
The backstory:
The hearing covered several major pretrial disputes, with both sides presenting arguments on bail, evidence access and what defenses Boelter will be allowed to raise at trial. Boelter is already serving a pair of life sentences plus 40 years for the crimes after pleading guilty in federal court. The state case is proceeding separately.
What we know:
Boelter's defense team is seeking to move the trial outside of Hennepin County, arguing that excessive media coverage of the case makes it impossible for Boelter to get a fair trial with a local jury. The defense is also arguing that Boelter's existing federal convictions stem from the same actions at the center of the state case, which they say should bar the state from prosecuting him again.
On the question of bail, defense attorney Bryan Leary asked Judge Juan Hoyos to throw out Boelter's $5 million state bond and return him to federal custody. Judge Hoyos denied that request. Prosecutors argued that sending Boelter back to federal custody could make it harder for him to defend himself, limiting his access to his attorney and slowing the case down.
Prosecutors told the court that federal authorities have already agreed to Boelter being held in county custody and that keeping him there is the most practical path forward.
Boelter also wants to argue at trial that he was acting within a "reasonable and authorized use of force" and was making a citizen's arrest to expose fraud — essentially that the killing was justified. The state has filed a motion to block those defenses entirely, and prosecutors pushed again Wednesday to have those arguments thrown out.
What they're saying:
Boelter attempted to address the court directly during the bail portion of the hearing, but Judge Hoyos shut that down, insisting his attorney handle the arguments. Over the state's objection, Boelter's defense attorney was ultimately permitted to read a prepared statement on his behalf.
Discovery dispute
Local perspective:
Prosecutors are also asking the court for a protective order that would prevent physical copies of evidence from being handed directly to Boelter, though his attorneys would still be able to show him the files. The state told the court it has evidence that Boelter has been using a close friend to post his writings to Substack from custody, with the most recent post going up Aug. 31.
The defense argued the restriction would limit Boelter's constitutional right to a fair and public trial and called the request an insult to the defense team's trustworthiness. Defense attorney Raissa Carpenter requested a live hearing on the matter, saying Boelter is largely left out of the process when arguments are handled in writing.
Judge Hoyos said both sides can submit further written arguments early next week and expressed hope that the cooperation between the two sides would continue. The defense has agreed, in the meantime, not to provide discovery materials directly to Boelter while the court considers the broader order.
What you can do:
It is not yet clear how the judge will rule on the protective order, the change of venue request or whether Boelter's proposed defenses will be allowed at trial.
The Source: Information in this article comes from motions filed by Boelter’s defense attorneys and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.