SALT LAKE CITY-- Two 2nd District Court judges will preside over the trial of James Tolbert, accused in the death of Deseret News employee Ann Poulson. But the trial will remain in the Salt Lake City Matheson courthouse which houses the 3rd District Court.

When Tolbert was charged with Poulson's death in October, a potential conflict of interest arose because a Matheson Courthouse em-ployee is related to Tolbert's late wife Janie Heller-Tolbert.

Robert Hilder, presiding judge of the 3rd District Court decided that because of that connection all judges in the district should disqualify themselves.

At that point it looked as though the trial might be transferred to 2nd District Court in Farmington, but in a recent court document, Hilder wrote that the case remains a 3rd District case and would be handled in Salt Lake City.

He conferred with 2nd District Court Presiding Judge Glen Dawson, requesting that two judges from the 2nd District be assigned.

They will be 2nd District Judge Thomas Kay, who will handle the case through the preliminary hearing and Dawson who will take over from there.

Tolbert, 42, is charged with aggravated murder in connection with Poulson's death. Her body was found in her Murray home after neighbors called police because they hadn't seen her.

Poulson had befriended Tolbert in prison as part of a church volunteer program, and she continued offering him friendship upon his release.



mwilliams@davisclipper.com