A plea deal is imminent for Ian Cramer, who is accused of killing a deputy sheriff in a high-speed crash – InForum

STANTON, N.D. — The son of U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer is facing charges in connection with a car chase that left a deputy sheriff dead, but a plea deal may be on the cards.

Ian Matthew Cramer, 43, of Bismarck, appeared in Mercer County District Court on Wednesday, Sept. 4, where he faces several charges, including one count of manslaughter while fleeing law enforcement in connection with the Dec. 6 death of 53-year-old Mercer County Deputy Paul Martin.

Ian Cramer is also charged with fleeing a police officer in a vehicle, evading apprehension and reckless endangerment. He is also charged with possession of meth, cocaine and drug paraphernalia and driving without a license. He was also charged with a marijuana law violation.

Mercer County Sheriff's Office

Prosecutors allege Ian Cramer fled from police when he was spotted in Hazen, about 70 miles northwest of Bismarck. According to court documents, officers attempted to stop Ian Cramer after reports surfaced that he had stolen his mother's 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe from Sanford Hospital in Bismarck about an hour earlier.

According to Bismarck police, Ian Cramer's mother, Kris, took him to the hospital out of concern for his mental health. While his mother spoke with hospital staff in the emergency room, Ian Cramer crawled into the driver's seat of the Tahoe, backed into the emergency room's north garage door and sped away, court documents state.

As Ian Cramer fled from Hazen police officers, he ran over a tire pressure valve set up on Highway 200 about 3 miles west of town, court documents say. Martin and Beulah Police Chief Frank Senn set up another tire pressure valve about 4 miles west of Hazen on the highway, court documents say.

Martin took cover behind his patrol car and was thrown into a ditch when Ian Cramer rammed the patrol vehicle, court documents say. According to court documents, Ian Cramer was traveling at more than 100 mph at the time of the crash.

Martin died at the scene of the accident.

Ian Cramer is facing charges of grand theft, criminal damage and reckless endangerment in Burleigh County District Court for the incident at Sanford Hospital. His trial is scheduled to begin in early November.

He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

The four-day trial in Mercer County is scheduled to begin Sept. 24. Mercer County Prosecutor Todd Schwarz said Wednesday he is talking with Martin's family about a possible settlement.

He did not discuss the details of the agreement in court, adding that he wanted to speak to Martin's family first before finalizing the agreement.

Kevin McCabe, Ian Cramer's court-appointed attorney, expressed concern that a doctor has not yet provided a report on Ian Cramer's criminal responsibility.

The assessment could provide Ian Cramer with a defense. Under North Dakota law, a person is not criminally responsible for a crime if they lack the “substantial ability to comprehend the harmful nature or consequences” of their actions, or if a “loss or serious distortion” of a person's ability to perceive reality is the reason for their actions.

McCabe has not said what defense he would use in the Ian Cramer case.

The doctor said he would complete the examination next week, the public defender said. Judge Bobbi Weiler said she did not want to delay the trial unnecessarily.

“Mr. Cramer has been in prison for almost a year,” she said. “He must be brought to justice soon.”

The court has reviewed 160 potential jurors, Weiler said. Hundreds of them will appear in court for voir dire, in which lawyers ask potential jurors questions to narrow the pool and create an unbiased jury.

Several potential jurors were rejected due to conflicts of interest, including a Mercer County sheriff's deputy, a Mercer County jail nurse who is married to a Beulah police officer, and two people related to Schwarz.

Weiler said the jury in Ian Cramer's trial will consist of 12 people plus alternates.

Ian Cramer is the son of Kevin Cramer, a Republican who has represented North Dakota in the U.S. Senate since 2019.