FARGO — The murder trial for a man accused of shooting and killing his childhood friend, which was supposed to start in Cass County court next week, is on hold.
The Sept. 30 trial of Leo Dartoe, 35, was canceled after prosecutors requested that Judge Connie Cleveland reconsider Dartoe’s ability to represent himself and properly access discovery in his case from the Cass County Jail.
Earlier this month, Dartoe’s third court-appointed defense attorney, William Hartl, was allowed to withdraw from the case after Dartoe claimed “he did not believe Hartl was fighting for him” and Hartl cited “an irreparable breakdown in the attorney client relationship,” according to court documents.
Dartoe’s first attorney, Tyler Morrow, withdrew from the case due to a conflict of interest in December of las