By Patrick Tepoorten

After a year and half of legal wrangling, it is believed that Craig Steven Fleming, indicted for murder in the first degree in the death of Martin Roy Carlson, will have his day in court starting next week. The Post Review will be there every step of the way, and provide daily updates at “Fleming on trial ,” a trial dedicated Web diary.

The long-awaited trial is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 4, in front of 10th District Court Judge Douglas G. Swenson.

At right: Chisago County Sheriff Todd Rivard demonstrates the metal detector.

Fleming, 48, of Lindstrom, is alleged to have shot Carlson, 25, of Center City, in the head with a .45 caliber handgun during an altercation at a Lindstrom residence in the early morning hours of July 22, 2006. According to investigative documents, Fleming then turned to two eyewitnesses and threatened them with a firearm as well.

He was arrested without incident shortly after the shooting at the residence of his sister, at which time he instructed police that the gun allegedly used in the crime was in his pick-up truck.

In August of 2006, a Chisago County Grand Jury delivered a first degree murder indictment against Fleming, who is also charged with second degree murder with intent, and two counts of second degree assault with a dangerous weapon for his actions against the two eyewitnesses, Jason Slattengren and Tory Mogensen.

Given the nature of the charges, Chisago County Sheriff Todd Rivard has made significant security improvements to the court administration area of the County Government Center.

“Emotions from family members will be running high,” said Rivard, who, in an effort to minimize the chance of a dangerous altercation, has installed a metal detector. Anyone who wishes to sit in court for any proceeding must pass through the detector first.

At left: Craig Steven Fleming

There will also be a handful of hand-held metal detection devices on the floor, and the north entrance to the floor has been locked down. All visitors must arrive by the main stairs and be subjected to metal detection.

“We wanted to do this anyway,” said Rivard, who added that, with the Fleming trial and the Jason Nordin second degree murder trial upcoming, the time seemed right.

Extra security specific to the Fleming trial will also include the posting of armed deputies at the north and south end of the floor, two more in charge of screening outside the courtroom doors, a deputy assigned specifically to Fleming, and another at large in the courtroom. There will also be the customary bailiff present.

Rivard stated some have questioned his openness about the security enhancements. In response, he said his goal is not to catch someone after creating a disturbance or worse, but to prevent such a thing from occurring in the first place.