Judge: Son Can Testify At Father's Murder Trial
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) -- A judge has ruled that a young boy can testify in his father's homicide trial in Blue Earth County.
Thirty-five-year-old Joel Marvin Munt of Burnsville is accused of shooting his ex-wife Svetlana Munt in a Mankato park last year while their three children watched.
District Court Judge Kurt Johnson ruled Tuesday only one of the children could testify if he's called as a witness. Johnson ruled he would testify from another courtroom away from the jury and his father to minimize any trauma. The testimony would be televised.
The Free Press of Mankato reports the boy was 5 years old when his mother died. His sister was 7-years-old and his brother was 4. Their parents were battling for custody.
Jury selection is scheduled to start Monday.
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