SAN LUIS — A growing pile of evidence sidetracked a preliminary hearing Feb. 14 in Costilla County Court for Jesper Joergensen.
The hearing was reset for 9 a.m. May 15.
Joergensen faces 141 counts of felony arson stemming from wildfires in Costilla County and Huerfano County added more than 80 charges to that total.
The Huerfano charges are being heard in Costilla County due to the fact that the case against him is farther along there.
He was arrested June 27 near Mountain Home Reservoir and reportedly admitted he built a fire pit and cooked some meat in the area where the fire started. He also allegedly claimed to have burned some trash and swore he did not know a burn ban was in place.
Joergensen is accused of setting the Spring Fire, which burned more than 107,627 acres of mountain forest and foliage, beginning June 27.
Retired District Judge Gregory Lyman of Durango has been assigned to the case and was in court Thursday, listening as Jorgensen made a rambling statement based on his understanding of state and federal law, asking for a new attorney and seeking a change of venue. He also claimed his defense attorney hadn’t kept him advised of what was happening in the case.
Defense Attorney David Lipka told the judge that wasn’t the case and Lyman said all the other things had been dealt with via earlier motions and then vacated the hearing and set another to be conducted by telephone.
Lyman is presiding following the recusal of all judges in the 12 Judicial District because a fellow employee lost her cabin in the fire.
The Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has an immigration detainer on Joergensen, who is from Denmark and had an expired worker’s visa when arrested.
These detainers are placed on immigrants who are likely up for deporting, as well as immigrants who have allegedly committed a crime. Basically, the detainer means ICE would likely take custody of the person if and when they are released from jail for any reason.