A flurry of decisions made Monday in the murder case against Ricardo Roman Jr. may have the effect of muting accusations about past aggressive and criminal activities heard by the jury.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Slocombe and Leelanau County assistant prosecutor Douglas Donaldson may temper their cases to meet the legal threshold needed to keep evidence that might damage their chances from coming to light. A jury trial is scheduled to begin May 5.

The prosecution had hoped to inform jurors that Roman has been prone to aggression, having had a charge of domestic violence in Grand Traverse County dropped through a plea agreement.

Slocombe had planned to bring up a charge of domestic violence brought against stabbing victim Craig Romer by his former girlfriend, Amanda Tyler. The case went to trial in Leelanau County, with Romer pronounced not guilty by a jury.

“His previous girlfriend has testimony of previous acts,” Slocombe told Circuit Court Judge Thomas Power in seeking to include testimony against Romer’s character. Listed as defense witnesses are several people who were present at a bar fight involving Romer.

“If you do that, does not the prosecution have the opportunity to enter the aggressive traits (of Roman)?” Power asked.

Power made it clear that an attempt by the defense to prove Romer was an aggressive person would open the door wider for counter-arguments made by the prosecution against Roman.

Roman’s case could face double-jeopardy simply by providing character witnesses, or even if Roman sought to improve his standing by testifying that he had been somewhat of a model citizen.

“We’re not going to be bolstering his character with character witnesses,” Slocombe told the judge.

Also, Roman’s past history of drug involvement may never be heard by jurors.

Donaldson had sought to enter evidence showing that Roman had been involved in drug trafficking to create a motive for the stabbing death of Romer on Nov. 16. Romer was an informant for the Traverse Narcotics Team. Prosecutors have alleged that Romer showed up at 1 a.m. at Roman’s house to retrieve his daughter, who was staying with his former girlfriend at the dwelling.

But the prosecution has considered offering a second motive to jurors. Donaldson said “at least” one of Roman’s drug associates may have been aware of Romer’s work with TNT.

However, Power ruled that the prosecution would need solid evidence to prove a connection between the stabbing and Romer’s role as an informant before the theory could be offered to the jury.

“At this juncture, I don’t have that, but I’m looking,” said Donaldson.

Power delayed ruling on a motion by the defense seeking to disallow evidence aimed at proving Roman knew how to efficiently kill a person with a knife through past gang activities, some of which occurred while Roman was in state prison. Also, Donaldson hoped to link Roman’s tattoos with the violent “Spanish Cobra” gang.

Donaldson said Roman had “particular knowledge of how to do the most harm with the knife” as proven by the location of the stab wound that started at Romer’s lower rib cage, traveled through his liver and lung, and into his heart. The defense is arguing that Roman acted in self defense.

Another aspect of the defense’s case was revealed at the hearing when Slocombe said he planned to argue that the stabbing occurred inside the home, and that Ralph Roberts, who drove Romer to the home that night, was behind Romer as he came up to the house. Slocombe planned to enter evidence showing that Roberts was drunk at the time and did not call 9-1-1 until 15 minutes after the stabbing. “It shows the mindset of the people who showed up at (the house),” said Slocombe.

Donaldson said such revelations would represent an “attempt to besmirch Mr. Roberts’ character,” and Power agreed.

Power ordered the prosecution to seek out a private laboratory to determine through DNA tests who had been smoking two cigarettes found outside the home. One cigarette had a spec of blood, which will also be tested. The Michigan State Police crime lab has been slow in providing results from samples taken at the homicide scene to the county.

The prosecution has alleged that at least one of the cigarettes belonged to Roman.

One controversial piece of evidence will likely have little effect on the trial. Slocombe had found a red spot on the door jam days after the stabbing, and called the Sheriff’s department for an investigation to determine if it was blood missed by detectives. The discovery led prosecutors to motion that Slocombe be forced to step aside as defense attorney, and to list Slocombe as a possible witness in the trial.

It turns out the red spot was paint.