Ex-Santa Fe deputy Tai Chan’s 3rd trial pushed back, won’t start June 24

The third trial for former Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Deputy Tai Chan was scheduled to begin June 24, but has pushed back to a date that has yet to be determined.

A spokesperson for the Third District Court DA’s office says the primary reason for the delay are scheduling issues for all the witnesses involved in the case.

According to court documents, the parties have agreed to the need for a special questionnaire for potential jurors. The DA’s office also wants to file additional motions and defense co-counsel Thomas Clark is set to start a murder trial in Santa Fe on July 2. Because the defense expects the trial to take between seven and ten days, both parties agreed to push back the trial date.

Chan has been tried twice for first-degree murder in the death of Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Martin. Both of those ended in mistrials.

Last year, Dona Ana County District Attorney Mark D’Antonio decided to try Chan for a third time – this time on a voluntary manslaughter charge.

A scheduling conference has been set for July 12, at Third District Court before Judge Conrad Perea