PORTLAND (AP) – The manslaughter trial of a Massachusetts man charged in a fatal boating crash last summer on Long Lake in Harrison is scheduled to begin Monday in Cumberland County Superior Court.

The prosecution claims that Robert LaPointe, 39, of Medway, Mass., was legally drunk and driving too fast when his 32-foot boat equipped with twin 435-horsepower engines ran over a 14-foot craft, killing Terry Raye Trott, 55, of Naples and Suzanne Groetzinger, 44, of Berwick.

Justice Robert Crowley is expected to rule Monday on a defense motion to delay the trial or move it elsewhere. Crowley has said that he will be able to assess claims of prejudicial pre-trial publicity when potential jurors are screened.

The judge sided with the defense last week in ruling that an emergency 911 tape recorded moments after the Aug. 11, 2007, crash would be unfairly prejudicial to LaPointe and will not be heard by jurors.

In another last-minute ruling, Crowley agreed that prosecutors will not be allowed to mention that LaPointe twice refused to give a blood sample after the crash.

In addition to the two counts of manslaughter, LaPointe faces four counts of aggravated operating under the influence and one count of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.

District Attorney Stephanie Anderson said the trial is expected to last two weeks.

LaPointe also faces civil lawsuits from relatives of Trott and Groetzinger, who have asked a judge to prevent LaPointe from concealing assets.