Raber trial begins

The trial of Lesley Raber for aggravated homicide by vehicle began on Tuesday morning as 60 of her fellow Crook County residents arrived at the courthouse for a morning of jury screening. The 12-person jury was seated around 2 p.m. for opening statements.

Raber pled not guilty to the homicide charge last August after an incident in which she allegedly pulled out onto U.S. 212 near milepost 19 and collided with a trike motorcycle, causing the death of its rider, 54-year-old Nancy Robinson of Bloomfield, Indiana.

According to court reports, Raber claimed she had been with her family at the “2U” area, shooting prairie dogs, when she had left to retrieve her cell phone from her home. She stated in an interview that she had believed the group of motorcycles was planning to turn at the intersection.

During opening statements, the prosecution claimed Raber was driving under the influence and recklessly, leading to the rider’s death, while the defense argued the incident was an accident, not a crime.

Originally scheduled for June 26, the trial was pushed back to October due to a change in Raber’s attorney. According to the motion filed with District Court at the time, the request was made because Raber retained a new defense attorney based on “a dissatisfaction with prior trial counsel”.

The trial was preceded by a Daubert hearing before District Judge Thomas Rumpke to determine whether or not the testimony of an expert witness is valid.

No special arrangements within the courthouse were considered necessary for this trial, which is scheduled to continue until the end of the week.

Initially expected to begin on Monday, October 14, the trial was delayed by one day due to the Columbus Day holiday. With the offices within the courthouse closed and signage indicating the building would be inaccessible, the judge felt it appropriate to call for delay to ensure that the trial be as open to the public as possible.

A jury of 12 was successfully seated by the end of the morning and the opening statements launched the trial proper in the early afternoon.