Monterey County judge selected for Kristin Smart murder trial

SALINAS, Calif. – A Monterey County Superior Court judge has been selected to preside over the high-profile Kristin Smart murder trial, where San Luis Obispo man Paul Flores will be tried for Smart's 1996 death.

Monterey County Judge Jennifer O'Keefe will be taking over the trial from San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig van Rooyen after he decided that Flores could not have a fair and impartial trial in San Luis Obispo County, according to Norma Ramirez-Zapata, a spokeswoman for the Monterey County Superior Court.

There is no date set for the start of the trial, but it will take place in Salinas, said Ramirez-Zapata.

The trial was moved to Monterey County on April 20 after van Rooyen approved Flores' change of venue request at the end of March. Flores' defense team argued that a fair trial could not happen in San Luis Obispo County due to the widespread media coverage and publicity the case has garnered over the past 25 years.

Before the trial location changed, the trial was supposed to start on May 31.

Flores is accused of killing Smart in May 1996 after she never made it back to her dorm room at Cal Poly.

Paul Fores' father, Ruben Flores, is also being charged as an accessory to the crime.