State, defense in Nichole Rice case dispute witness testimony ahead of trial

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KMOT) – The state and defense are disputing whether a witness in next week’s murder trial in Grand Forks should be allowed to testify over video from a prison in Montana, or must be brought to North Dakota to testify in person.

Earlier this week, Sand Law Firm filed a written request to allow Devin Hall to testify over video. Hall is currently incarcerated at a detention center on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Poplar on an unrelated matter.

In their filing, the defense said officials from the correctional facility in Poplar informed them they could no longer transport Hall to Grand Forks.

The state filed a written response, accusing the defense of acting in ‘bad faith,’ saying there was still time to arrange for Hall to be transported to North Dakota to testify in person.

In turn, the defense filed a response, saying they were continuing to ‘attempt to exhaust all possibilities’ to get Hall to North Dakota, but were encountering legal and economic issues with arranging transport of a prisoner on a tribal reservation across state lines.

The defense also asked to present oral arguments on the matter to the court.

Judge Richard Hagar has yet to rule on the matter.

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