Orono defendant in car crash that killed two posts $500,000 cash bail, released without conditions

An Orono man accused of killing two passengers by driving drunk at nearly 100 miles an hour on July 24 appeared in Hennepin County District Court on Tuesday for the first time after posting $500,000 cash bail.

James D. Blue, 51, wearing a dark suit coat, light blue shirt and an orange tie, appeared via the internet and did not speak, nor did he enter a plea in the deaths of Mack Motzko, 20, and Sam Schuneman, 24. Blue sat silently next to his lawyer, Fred Bruno, who argued against setting conditions on bail given that the defendant had posted the full amount in cash.

Judges usually set two bail amounts, a higher amount that allows a defendant to be released without conditions and a lower amount that requires a defendant to adhere to court-ordered conditions.

Initially, District Judge Regina Chu said Blue would be required to abstain from using nonprescription drugs or alcohol, wear an alcohol sensing monitor, be subject to random drug and alcohol testing and be required to check in with his court monitor.

Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Hilary Hannon also urged Chu to require Blue to continue treatment for alcohol abuse and set a higher bail amount, $750,000, for unconditional release.

But Chu agreed with Bruno's suggestion to keep the unconditional amount at $500,000 and set the conditional amount at $100,000.

Bruno argued against raising the bail requirement. "In order for there to be an adjustment in bail, there needs to be a change in circumstances from when the bond was set," Bruno said.

He noted that his client had twice "self-surrendered" to the court, first on July 28 after he was released from the hospital and again Monday when he was charged with four counts of criminal vehicular homicide.

Blue was booked into the county jail at 7:36 p.m. Monday and released at 2:29 a.m. Tuesday after posting the cash bail, logs show.

According to the charges, he drank shots of liquor and consumed THC gummies before driving nearly 100 miles an hour in his Bentley and killing his two passengers. Motzko, who lived in St. Cloud, was the son of Gophers men's hockey coach Bob Motzko. Schuneman, who lived in Arizona but was from Maple Grove, was dating Motzko's daughter.

The single-car crash occurred in a wooded area near the 3100 block of North Shore Drive where Blue lived. It wasn't clear how the two men ended up at Blue's house after having dinner at a restaurant nearby.

Blue is next set to appear in court Sept. 8. in a remote hearing.

Staff writer Chao Xiong contributed to this report.