PORTLAND, Ore. — The trial for the man charged with a deadly attack on a MAX train in 2017 has been moved to next year.
Jeremy Christian’s trial on aggravated murder charges was scheduled to begin in June. During a hearing on Friday, the trial was postponed until January 2020, according to KGW's Kyle Iboshi.
During Friday's hearing, Christian told the judge he was acting in self-defense and video evidence would prove that.
Last week, the defense claimed it needed more time to prepare for the trial. Christian's attorney, Greg Scholl, said he needed an extension simply to prepare for the trial, specifically reaching a number of witnesses to the attack.
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Additionally, potential changes in sentencing for major Measure 11 crimes are now being debated in the state legislature and could affect Christian's fate, Scholl argued last week. This year's session is expected to last into June.
Christian is accused of spewing hate speech at two black teenage girls on a MAX train in Portland near the Hollywood Transit Center, and then stabbing three men who stepped in to intervene.
The May 26, 2017 attack left two of the victims, 53-year-old Ricky John Best and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, dead. The third victim, 21-year-old Micah Fletcher, was wounded but survived.
While in jail awaiting trial, Christian has been singled out for violence against other inmates.
A previous request for a change of venue for the trial was denied.