Justices overrule appeals court, deny new trial for man convicted of St. Paul murder

The state’s high court has denied a Minnesota man convicted of murder a third trial.

The Minnesota Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Anthony Trifiletti on Wednesday, reversing the decision of the Minnesota Court of Appeals in the fall of 2022.

Trifiletti was involved in a minor traffic crash in St. Paul on May 1, 2020. After he and the driver of the other vehicle pulled over, they got into a fight that ended with Trifiletti shooting and killing the other man.

He claimed self-defense but was charged with murder and manslaughter. In March 2021, a mistrial was declared after jurors couldn’t reach an agreement on Trifiletti’s guilt. He was retried a month later.

During that second trial, two witnesses fell ill and were urged to quarantine. A judge then allowed Trifiletti to choose whether the witnesses would testify remotely or have their transcripts from the first trial read to the jurors. Trifiletti objected, but the judge overruled him, and he opted for the transcripts to be read to jurors, who then convicted him of murder and manslaughter.

Then, in September 2022, the Minnesota Court of Appeals decided that Trifiletti’s constitutional rights were violated during the trial because he wasn’t able to confront the witnesses in court. But the Minnesota Supreme Court determined that Trifiletti’s inability to confront the witnesses, considering the circumstances, was harmless and didn’t impact his ability for a fair trial.

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“We are grateful for the Supreme Court’s decision on this matter as it upholds the jury’s verdict in this case and recognizes the special challenges that were faced by the judge, prosecutor, defense, and witnesses during the pandemic. Through the adversarial process and this appeal, it is assuring to know that the measures taken to ensure the safety of those involved in the trial during this difficult time did not deprive the defendant of a fair trial,” Dennis Gerhardstein, a spokesperson for the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.