BIDDEFORD, Maine — The trial of a Biddeford landlord charged with killing two teenagers and injuring an adult in 2012 has been moved from Alfred to Portland.
The trial of 77-year-old James Pak was scheduled for Feb. 22 at York County Superior Court, but officials confirmed Wednesday that the trial was recently rescheduled for Feb. 17 and moved to Cumberland County Superior Court. Two weeks have been set aside for the trial.
Assistant Attorney General Leane Zainea, who is prosecuting the case, said Wednesday the move was made so the trial would not interfere with other hearings scheduled for February at the smaller courthouse in Alfred.
“It’s so that York County can continue to try its cases without us taking up its entire trial time,” Zainea said.
Justice John O’Neil Jr., who has presided over the case all along, will still preside over the trial in Portland.
Pak has been charged with two counts of murder in the Dec. 29, 2012, shooting deaths of Derrick Thompson, 19, and his girlfriend Alivia Welch, 18, as well as one count of aggravated attempted murder in the shooting of Thompson’s mother, Susan Johnson. According to police, the shootings resulted from a dispute over parking and snow removal at the building where Pak rented an apartment to Johnson and her son.
The trial will come more than three years after the night of the shooting, which is when police arrested Pak, mainly because he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Pak’s mental competency was the subject of two hearings in February and May of last year, during which three psychologists who had evaluated him presented conflicting testimony over his ability to stand trial.
In November, O’Neil ruled that Pak understands enough about the legal system and the seriousness of his charges to be competent to stand trial.
This is the second high profile Biddeford murder case that was recently moved to Portland.
Three men have been charged with the March 26, 2013, slaying of Charles Raybine of Biddeford, and their case was moved to Portland because of the number of people involved in the case and a lack of space at the Alfred courthouse. During a hearing at the Alfred courthouse in November, tables and chairs had to be rearranged to fit the three defendants and their attorneys.