Emotionally impaired defendant gets change of venue

A Cape Girardeau man charged with felony unlawful possession of a firearm was granted a change of venue to Wayne County Monday by Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Lewis.

Matthew L. Martin, 28, of 2317 Kent Drive, was reportedly staying at the Victorian Inn, 3265 William St., on June 1, where Cape Girardeau police found a semiautomatic handgun.

Martin had reportedly been telling guests in the lobby of the hotel he was bipolar and residing at the hotel on the advice of his psychiatrist, who said he should stay away from his wife and children after threatening to kill them.

A subsequent investigation revealed that Martin was rendered emotionally impaired by the bipolar disorder, making it illegal for him to own firearms.

"This is the first time I've ever filed a charge for a person who has been judgmentally incompetent for a firearm," said Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle. "It just doesn't come up."