A trial date of May 15 has been set for the man accused of driving drunk and crashing his car into the Park Tavern patio last summer, killing two people and injuring nine others.
Steven Frane Bailey was freed from jail after posting $500,000 bail last year. Thursday's hearing in Hennepin County District Court focused around scheduling and the fact that Bailey has completed his program for alcohol addiction and is now living at home. He had originally been released from jail on a bed-to-bed transfer to enter a treatment facility.
Bailey, 56, is charged with two counts of third-degree murder, two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and nine counts of criminal vehicular operation related to the crash.
Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Krista White told Judge Juan Hoyos that while she knew the court wasn't going to take Bailey into custody because he posted bail, she was concerned that he was now living in St. Louis Park "which is within the community where this horrific event happened."
She asked Hoyos to amend Bailey's conditions of release to include that he stay outside a three-block radius from the Park Tavern. Bailey's attorney, Thomas Sieben, said he was fine with those conditions.
Bailey, appearing in a white collared shirt and black glasses, didn't speak during the hearing. Hoyos said that, so far, Bailey has been complying with all conditions set forth by the court for his release from custody.
"I know, Mr. Bailey, you'll continue to comply with the court's order," Hoyos said.
Bailey's mother and daughters were in attendance at the hearing, as were several co-workers, friends and family of the victims of the crash, which killed Park Tavern employee Kristina Folkerts, 30, of St. Louis Park, and customer Gabriel Quinn Harvey, 30, of Rosemount.
In setting a date for jury selection in the potential trial, Hoyos noted they will ask for a larger jury pool of 75 people due to the high-profile nature of the allegations. White also requested a larger courtroom due to the number of victims affected and media interest.