A murder re-trial for defendant Bradley Joe Morales, 31, of Minot, who is charged with the August 2017 stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, has been rescheduled for Jan. 4, 2022.

Morales, who has had disagreements with several attorneys who previously represented him, is now representing himself with advice from a stand-by defense attorney. During a hearing on Thursday, he asked Judge Doug Mattson to ban television cameras from the courtroom during a discussion about whether the state can introduce evidence of his past criminal history at the trial. Morales has a history of domestic violence against the purported victim.

Ward County State’s Attorney Roza Larson objected to Morales’s request, noting that the media had previously requested and received permission to have cameras at court proceedings involving Morales and the prosecution and attorneys for the media had not been given enough time to respond.

Morales was convicted by a jury at his first trial in May 2018 and Mattson sentenced him to 40 years in prison. However, the State Supreme Court later ordered that Morales must be given a new trial because it ruled that Mattson had violated Morales’s constitutional right to a public trial by closing the courtroom on different occasions without first considering alternatives.

Larson pointed out to the judge the reason for the re-trial, said there had been media coverage of the first trial, including the details Morales didn’t want to see get out. Mattson agreed with the state’s position, said court proceedings are open to the public and there will be several months between the July hearing and the January trial, so the details shouldn’t interfere with the ability to select jurors.

There were other discussions about evidence that will be presented at trial. Morales wants to use his intoxication at the time of the event as part of his defense; Mattson said no. Morales wants access to items on his ex-girlfriend’s phone to prepare his defense; Larson said all of the conversations between Morales and the ex-girlfriend on her phone have been provided to Morales but unrelated items on the phone, including conversations with other people, should be protected because her estate still has a right to privacy. The judge is considering those issues.

Morales also said he has had difficulty contacting expert witnesses and arranging for a private detective because he has been incarcerated. Larson said jail staff have told her that Morales doesn’t seem to be trying that hard to make phone calls and asked the judge to set firm deadlines for submitting motions to the court so there aren’t further delays. Mattson also noted that the case has taken a significant amount of time. The re-trial will take place 4 1/2 years after the death of Morales’s ex-girlfriend.

Morales is currently in custody at the Ward County Jail on the Class AA felony murder charge and has been unable to pay his $750,000 cash or corporate surety bond.