Fatal punch self-defense or murder?

DULUTH — A man involved in a fatal bar fight is on trial for murder and manslaughter in St. Louis County.

Prosecutors say Paul Welle lost his temper and punched Dale Anderson outside the Powerhouse Bar in Proctor last November. The 60-year-old Anderson fell backward and hit his head on concrete. He died three days later from a brain hemorrhage.

The defense says Anderson was the aggressor and that Welle was simply defending himself. During opening statements Wednesday, prosecutor Rebekka Stumme told jurors they will hear testimony from three people Welle had assaulted in the past. The Duluth News Tribune says defense attorney Richard Holmstrom claims the prosecution is trying to frame Welle by introducing the past assaults.