By Paul Gottlieb
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES – The trial of a Forks man accused of premeditated first-degree murder was continued Monday to June 7.
Jury selection had been scheduled to begin in the Clallam County Superior Court trial of Etienne L. Choquette, 46.
But instead, Judge George L. Wood accepted the request for continuance agreed upon by John Hayden of the county Public Defender’s Office, representing Choquette, and Ann Lundwall, county deputy prosecuting attorney.
“It would have been surprising if it had been ready to go at this time, given the number of witnesses and the amount of forensics work coming back from the state crime lab,” Lundwall said after the hearing.
She plans on calling 28 witnesses, mostly law enforcement personnel, according to court documents.
Hayden called the case “a very complicated case to prepare.”
Choquette, who has pleaded not guilty, remains in Clallam County jail in lieu of $2 million bail.
Forks police said he shot Antonio Rodriguez Maldonado, 33, at about 11 p.m. on Sept. 24 — first in the upper body, then in the back of the head — near the intersection of Campbell Street and Ash Avenue in Forks.
They said Choquette threw the gun, a .38-caliber revolver, into the Quillayute River. The weapon was later recovered.
Rodriguez Maldonado’s former girlfriend, Kellie L. White, 32, also of Forks, was arrested on investigation of conspiracy to commit murder.
Police said she allegedly told Choquette at least five times she wanted Rodriguez Maldonado dead.
Police also said Choquette told them that White had said Rodriguez Maldonado had assaulted her the same day Choquette killed him.
County Prosecuting Attorney Deb Kelly has said there was not enough evidence to convict White on the conspiracy charge.
If convicted and if he has no prior felonies, Choquette could be sentenced 20 to 20 ½ years and fined up to $50,000.
The maximum sentence is life in prison.
The trial is expected to last about two weeks.
________
Senior staff writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
