Moe Gibbs will face trial Dec. 4 for the 2004 rape of a Fargo woman, a judge ruled this afternoon.
The decision pushes the case behind Gibbs' second murder trial, slated to begin Oct. 22 in Bismarck, for the September 2006 death of Mindy Morgenstern.
Gibbs had also originally been scheduled to face trial Sept. 17 for the sexual assault of five female inmates at the Barnes County Jail in Valley City, N.D., for six incidents that occurred while he was a jailer at the facility. A judge delayed that trial last week until after the murder trial finishes.
A Minot, N.D., jury deadlocked in July over whether Gibbs strangled and stabbed the 22-year-old Valley City State University senior, causing a mistrial and leading to the upcoming second murder trial.
Morgenstern's slain body was found in her Valley City, N.D., apartment Sept. 13, 2006. Gibbs, 35, lived in the same building.
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Media coverage surrounding the case led to its relocation to Minot, N.D. Coverage of the first trial also caused a second relocation, initially to Grand Forks, N.D., and then to Bismarck.
For the full story, read Thursday's Forum.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Brittany Lawonn at (701) 241-5541
