Hearing in double murder case postponed

The case in relation to the double murderer Joachim M was due to have been heard in the cantonal high court in Zug today, but this has been postponed after his (imposed) counsel for defence called for a judge from outside the canton to preside, as he and his client felt all judges in the canton of Zug were no longer impartial in this instance.
 
It was actually three weeks ago that it became known the hearing due to be held at the end of this week was to be postponed, with no reason given by the cantonal high court itself. Only yesterday did it become clear that the counsel for defence and his client were insisting on a judge from a canton other than Zug. It was the lawyer himself who had noticed certain shortcomings in previous hearings, hence he is calling for the case to be heard ab initio again. An objection was raised against the judge who was to have presided over the case set for today as it was suggested he was no longer impartial in this instance. In fact the lawyer considered all other judges of the Zug cantonal high court no longer impartial in this instance as each of them had had to deal with the accused before and they, too, had agreed to withdraw in this case. The only remaining one did not consider himself biased but said the objection to him had been registered too late.
 
The Zug cantonal high court is made up of a presiding judge and his deputy along with three full-time and two part-time judges. Then there are up to six substitute judges, too; these would be called in if the only possible remaining judge of the cantonal high court were not able to preside, but the counsel for defence maintained that it would not be appropriate for these to be called in, as, like in other cantons, everyone knew everyone else, hence he was calling for a judge from beyond the cantonal border.
 
As to the circumstances when a judge opts not to sit on specific case or objections are raised to him doing so, these are determined by the Swiss State.
 
Newcomers who have moved to Zug in recent years may not know about the case of the murder of two women in a city centre flat six years ago.
 
It was on the morning of 17 February 2009 that Joachim M. entered the city-centre penthouse apartment of 54-year-old Linda S. He was already known to the millionairess and former wife of a local publisher through his job as a fitter with a window company in Lucerne. It was here in this rented flat in Eschenring that the man overpowered the woman and her 36-year-old Filipino housemaid, bound their hands and feet and stuck tape over their mouths. He then strangled the Filipino woman with an item of clothing he found in the flat and subsequently killed the older woman. He then went on to steal items of jewellery, watches and cash to the value of several tens of thousands of francs in all, as well as credit cards.
 
In order to remove any traces of him from the flat, he set fire to a bed cover and an item of clothing on a clothes horse and then fled the scene. However, as a result of a lack of oxygen, the flames died out though much soot was caused. In all, damage to the flat amounted to CHF 500,000.
 
It was not until 10 days later, on 27 February 2009, that a concerned acquaintance of Linda S. called the police and an intense investigation began.
 
The net closed in on Joachim M. after it was discovered one of his victim’s credit cards had been used. He was duly arrested and detained two months later.
 
At his trial in February 2013 he was was convicted of murder on two counts and robbery and sentenced to life imprisonment, whereupon he announced he would appeal.
 
It is not yet known when this latest hearing is to take place at the cantonal high court.