Two South Central District murder trials are scheduled to be held in the House chambers of the state Capitol to better allow for social distancing, a possible first for the state.
âWe donât have a courtroom large enough to socially distance a jury with four alternates, numerous litigants and the public, so we were forced to look at alternative locations,â Court Administrator Donna Wunderlich said.
The Burleigh County trial of Earl Howard, 42, and Nikkisue Entzel, 40, was set to start Monday but a judge granted a continuance on Friday. Howard, of Bellwood, Ontario, in January 2020 was charged with murder and murder conspiracy, arson and arson conspiracy, and evidence tampering in the death of Chad Entzel, 42, of Bismarck. Co-defendant Nikkisue Entzel, 40, Chad Entzel s wife, also was charged with murder conspiracy, arson conspiracy and evidence tampering conspiracy. The murder charge against Howard was later dismissed.
Last Thursday after crashing a car half a dozen times I was fired upon by a burglar who I later shot.
All those things happened sort of  during an open house at the Law Enforcement Training Academy Range in Bismarck. Highway Patrol Sgt. Chad Hermanson demonstrated emergency driving techniques on the facilityâs driving pad and then let me take the wheel to try my hand. Later, Sgts. Derek Arndt and Wade Kadrmas put me through two scenarios on the new use-of-force simulator. I donât know which of them was more entertained.
Hermanson didnât have to tell Tribune photographer Tom Stromme and me to buckle up when we got in the car. His only request more of a warning, really was that we should tell him if we were going to get sick. I chuckled, thinking no car ride could be that intense. I was wrong.
North Dakota House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Louser told a Highway Patrol trooper who arrested him for drunken driving a week ago that he had consumed three drinks at two area bars, and called a legislative intern he was with his attorney.
The 49-year-old Minot Republican who has been in the Legislature since 2011 failed three field sobriety tests and refused another, and at jail tested for a blood alcohol content of 0.117%, over the 0.08 legal limit, Trooper Brian Mehlhoff states in an affidavit.
Louser was charged Friday with misdemeanor DUI. He s scheduled for an initial appearance on May 12. Court documents don t list an attorney for him. He told the Tribune that he had not seen the court filings and had no comment outside of a statement he released shortly after his arrest.
North Dakota lawmaker suspected of DUI was driving erratically, trooper says
Rep. Scott Louser released a statement announcing that he was cited for drunken driving, noting that he wanted to be transparent and accountable regarding the incident. Written By: Jeremy Turley | ×
Rep. Scott Louser, R-Minot.
BISMARCK North Dakota Rep. Scott Louser s vehicle repeatedly strayed from its lane on the expressway before the lawmaker was pulled over and arrested last week on suspicion of drunken driving, according to the Highway Patrol trooper who stopped him between Bismarck and Mandan.
Louser, a Minot Republican and the assistant majority leader in the House of Representatives, smelled like alcohol during the stop just before 1 a.m. Friday, April 16, the unnamed trooper observed in a report provided by patrol spokesman Sgt. Wade Kadrmas.
Trooper who arrested Louser said he witnessed erratic driving, smelled alcohol bismarcktribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bismarcktribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.