First trial in Fallon homicide case will be held in Dawson County

The first of two anticipated trials in the homicide investigation of Fallon resident Isaac Carrier is set to begin in August and has been moved to Dawson County, and those called for jury duty will need to plan on commuting.

The first defendant in the case, Jake Burghduff, will appear for trial at the Dawson County Courthouse starting Aug. 21. Burghduff has been charged with deliberate homicide, arson and tampering with physical evidence, all felonies.

According to Prairie County attorney Dan Rice, discussion on moving the location of the trial was opened by Seventh Judicial District Court Judge Olivia Rieger amid concerns about the adequacy of the Prairie County Courthouse’s court room. The courthouse was not designed for large trials. It lacks adequate space and facilities for parties involved in a jury trial, and also lacks many of the technological features that are common in modern court rooms.

As a result of the concerns with the Prairie County facility, Judge Rieger suggested moving the trial to the Dawson County Courthouse in Glendive, where the facility is larger and has more features. Rice said that after receiving confirmation the case would still be run with a Prairie County jury, the prosecution agreed with the idea.

“The courtroom is very small, there is virtually no courtroom technology (microphones, monitors, etc.), there is no setup for a court reporter. The judge asked if the parties were okay with Dawson for the trial using a Prairie County jury. The State wanted to be sure that we had our Prairie County jurors and with that confirmed, agreed with the judge’s request,” Rice said.

The defendant who will go on trial in August, Jake Burghduff, is currently being held in Dawson County at the Dawson County Correctional Facility.

Jurors will still be responsible for getting themselves to Dawson County for jury selection and, if selected, the trial, according to Prairie County Clerk of Court Shari Robertson. Approximately 200 potential jurors have been summoned for this trial.

Jurors will be compensated for the miles traveled, Robertson added, though only for the distance from their officially listed address to the Dawson County Courthouse and back. If a potential juror is currently out of state, for example, and has to travel back to Montana to Glendive for selection, they will not get reimbursed for their entire travel, only the distance between their home address in Prairie County and the courthouse in Glendive.

Jurors can find more information on what is expected of them, as well as a list of frequently asked questions, on Dawson County’s website at https://www.dawsonmt.gov/departments/clerk_of_court/jury_services.php. Robertson noted that Prairie County officials are also working to add this information to Prairie County’s website.

Jury selection in the trial is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 18 with the full trial beginning on Monday, Aug. 21.

The trial will be broadcast via Zoom for the public to observe.