PORT ANGELES — A Clallam County judge today ordered a change of venue for the retrial of Darold Stenson, who is accused of two 1993 murders.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge S. Brooke Taylor ruled during a hearing this afternoon.
“After considerable deliberation, I came to the conclusion that it is not only probable, but highly probable, that we could not get an impartial, open-minded jury in Clallam County,” Taylor said.
“Mr. Stenson could not get a fair trial in this county for all the reasons set forth in the opinion, which I don’t need to elaborate on here in court.”
Taylor said he will preside over the trial in Kitsap County.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin on July 8.
After announcing the change of venue, Taylor rendered moot a defense motion to compel the release of achieved material from the now-defunct Peninsula News Network and Northland Cable News and KONP radio.
He also denied a defense motion to order the production of disciplinary and training records of state witnesses.
Stenson, 60, is being held in the Clallam County jail without bail.
He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of his wife and business partner at his exotic bird farm near Sequim.
Stenson served time on death row until separate stays of execution were issued in 2008.