Vance Boelter Pleads Not Guilty in State Court; Trial Set for Nov. 2
Vance Boelter entered a not-guilty plea to state murder charges and a trial date of Nov. 2 was scheduled, despite his existing federal life sentences.
During a packed hearing in downtown Minneapolis, Vance Boelter pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and additional attempted murder charges linked to the June 2025 attack on Minnesota lawmakers. The court fixed a state trial date of Nov. 2, even as Boelter remains serving two consecutive life terms and 40 years in federal prison for the same killings. He asked the judge to reduce his $5 million bail to zero, but Hennepin County District Judge Juan Hoyos rejected the motion.
Boelter’s attorney presented unfounded conspiracy arguments, which the state attorney dismissed as irrelevant. A protective order was proposed after Boelter posted online details of the case, but the judge postponed ruling on it. The state has also filed a motion to block Boelter’s planned defenses, such as claims of justified use of force and double jeopardy.
Why it matters
The case highlights the tension between federal and state prosecutions in a high-profile political murder.
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