–The flooding in Northwest Iowa has caused a delay in the 1st Degree Murder trial of Kyle Lou Ricke. The man accused of killing Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram last September had been scheduled to stand trial this week in Dickinson County, but now the start will be pushed back 2 weeks.
Ricke’s attorneys asked for a continuance in the case on Monday, saying the flooding across the area could lead to problems with the jury pool. Defense Attorney Matthew Pittenger argued many potential jurors may not be able to give their full attention to the case if they are dealing with flood issues at their home or business.
Prosecutors resisted the motion, arguing Officer Cram’s family has waited nearly 10 months for this trial to begin, and delaying the start now would be unfair to them.
In her ruling, Judge Nancy Whittenburg cited safety concerns, not only the jury pool, but also for those traveling from Kossuth County to attend the trial. Many of the major highways in and around Spirit Lake have been closed due to the high waters, making safe travel to the courthouse more difficult. Whittenburg also noted that she spoke with emergency management and law enforcement officials in Dickinson County, who agreed that allowing residents to focus on cleanup efforts at this time might be best.
Judge Whittenburg moved the trial to Dickinson County last month, after defense attorneys argued that Ricke would not be able to get a fair trial in Kossuth County, due to the publicity surrounding the case.
The trial is now scheduled to begin on Monday, July 8th at the Dickinson County Courthouse in Spirit Lake.
