Chezem trial delayed

MISSOULA - Prosecutors and jurors were ready to go on Monday morning, but defendant Larry Chezem said he was not, so his trial on federal weapons violations was delayed until June.

Chezem - formerly of Martin City, and now of Indiana - was charged with five other people last May after they were indicted by a grand jury on weapons charges. The case was prepared by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Officials said the six were members of Project 7, a paramilitary group that reportedly amassed weapons and moved them from site to site, at one point burying them on national forest land. Some authorities believe the group planned to assassinate police and other officials.

Chezem was the sole defendant to plead innocent. The others - David Burgert, Tracy Brockway, James Day, John Slater, and Steven Morey - pleaded guilty to a variety of weapons charges.

Chezem is representing himself.

A courtroom full of citizens who were called for jury duty gathered Monday morning while Chezem, prosecuting Assistant U.S. Attorney Kris McLean, and U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy met in Molloy's chambers.

When they emerged, Molloy apologized to the crowd. He explained that Chezem interpreted a scheduling order for the trial differently than Molloy intended it.

"He read it in a manner that was probably literally accurate… My statement wasn't really what I meant," Molloy said. He didn't explain further.

Chezem, 53, ran unsuccessfully for Flathead County sheriff in 2002 as a Libertarian.

In a recent court hearing, Chezem refused to be sworn in, saying it violated his spiritual convictions.