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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

County Seeking Way To Pay For Trial

Associated Press

Latah County officials say they might have to ask voters to approve an override property tax to pay trial costs and appeals for a man accused of killing two University of Idaho students.

Wenkai Li is charged with first-degree murder in the May deaths of Ning Li and his wife, Xia Ge at their Moscow apartment.

County Commissioner Shirley Greene met with Gov. Phil Batt to discuss options for paying for the case, because of the new 3 percent limit on budget increases.

“The only thing he said we could do is have an override election,” Greene said, which could cost $20,000.

If Li was not ruled indigent, that would eliminate much of the cost, she said.

“The governor is sympathetic over the plight of counties facing legal costs for indigents,” Greene said.

Dan Chadwick, executive director of the Idaho Association of Counties, said dealing with indigent legal costs will be a topic of discussion at the association’s district meetings in Moscow July 28.

Greene said Chadwick said there’s a possibility that a catastrophic indigent legal fund might be created. Counties would pay prosecution costs up to a certain amount, with the state fund paying for the rest.

That’s the system used for catastrophic indigent medical costs, with counties paying the first $10,000 in medical bills.

Deputy Prosecutor Doug Whitney said it’s too early to determine what the case will cost. A preliminary hearing is scheduled July 11 and should take one to two days.

Whitney said officials still haven’t decided how many witnesses will be called from Wyoming or if witnesses will be called to interpret lab results. The bodies of the victims were discovered in Wyoming, and police allege Li took them there after the slayings.