Lozeau asks for new venue in homicide trial
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On June 3, Randi Hood, public defender for Harry Lozeau, filed a motion in district court for a change of venue for Lozeau’s trial, to guarantee a fair and impartial jury, and effective assistance of counsel. The motion requests a county other than Lake.
In June 2014, Lozeau was charged with deliberate homicide in the shooting death of his brother, Terry Lozeau. A trial date was first set for January 2015. Then on Jan. 21, Lozeau changed his plea and entered a guilty plea. At the time he admitted shooting and killing Terry Lozeau without justification. On April 1, Lozeau withdrew his guilty plea and the most recent trial date was set for Sept. 14.
In the motion for a move of venue, the document states that the pre-trial has been slanted due to reporting in news media.
“Of particular concern is those reports in the Missoulian, the Ravalli Republic, the Valley Journal, the Kalispell Beacon, and the Daily Inter Lake which relay Lozeau’s statements at his change of plea relating to shooting and killing his brother,” the document states, adding “because the publications cover the entire regions from which the jury pool will be drawn, the offending publicity has the potential for greater impact on the right to a fair trial.”
A motion to continue the trial to a later date was also filed June 3. Hood anticipates a re-trial of a different deliberate homicide case that she is representing in Butte County will continue through Sept. 16.
The motion will still need to go before a judge in District Court for approval.
