Dept. of Curiouser and Curiouser, a/k/a News of the Weird:
>> The Missoula law firm that is representing a Grant Creek resident accused of murdering a German exchange student will host a live showing of the U.S.-Germany World Cup soccer match on big-screen televisions in Caras Park on Thursday.
Paul Ryan & Associates sent an announcement to the media Tuesday, saying it will host the free live showing at 10 a.m. Thursday. The game will be shown on two 65-inch televisions.
... In a phone interview, Ryan said the soccer gameÂ’s live showing has nothing to do with his firmÂ’s involvement in KaarmaÂ’s defense. (Ryan contends that his client was acting in defense of his family when he fired three shots at 17-year-old Diren Dede.)
Ryan said the fact that Germany is playing the U.S. is purely a coincidence.
“Honestly, that didn’t cross my mind,” Ryan said. “We were just excited about the game and we wanted to provide this to the community. I hope it doesn’t turn into something negative. It’s just a weird timing of the two teams that match up. It doesn’t have anything to do with our case. Hopefully, people can forget about those things and watch a soccer game. We just did it as a community event.” <<
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Who, me?"
>> Judge McLean also told Kaarma's attorney Paul Ryan to not host a public viewing of the USA-Germany World Cup match in Caras Park as Ryan had planned on doing.
McLean said this was not a time to run "a public relations campaign" and Ryan should "knock it off." <<

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Tentative Trial Date Set
>> Attorney Paul Ryan responded by canceling plans to host a free community screening of ThursdayÂ’s U.S.-Germany soccer match, insisting he never made the connection between slain student Diren DedeÂ’s nationality and love for soccer, and the U.S.-Germany matchup in the World Cup.
District Judge Ed McLean made the connection quickly during Wednesday morningÂ’s omnibus hearing.
“In this morning’s Missoulian, there’s an article about the televised soccer event,” McLean said. “I don’t want any playing to the public when we have serious business at hand, and it’s not the time to run a public relations campaign. So knock it off.”
RyanÂ’s client, Markus Kaarma, is charged with deliberate homicide for fatally shooting the unarmed teenager in his Grant Creek garage on April 27. Dede was an all-state soccer player and Big Sky High School student; he also played soccer in his home country [Germany]. <<
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Missoulian