Fargo, N.D. – Legal Challenge in Murder Case
The North Dakota Supreme Court is set to consider an appeal from Spencer Moen, convicted of murdering his wife, Sonja Moen, in October 2024. Moen’s defense argues that his Sixth Amendment rights were violated during the trial when two minor witnesses—his children—testified remotely via Zoom. According to court documents, the defense maintains that the district court did not adequately justify this decision, claiming it should have been established that live testimony would cause serious emotional trauma.
The children were present during the tragic event in August 2023, and the defense asserts the right of the accused to confront witnesses under the U.S. Constitution and the North Dakota Constitution. Meanwhile, the state contends that the remote testimony was warranted, as live testimony could have harmed the children’s psychological well-being and compromised the reliability of their accounts.
The State of North Dakota has requested the court to affirm Moen’s conviction, arguing that the measures taken were necessary to protect the witnesses. Moen is currently serving a life sentence without parole, and as of now, no future hearings are scheduled in his case.
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