HOUGHTON — The date of the Preliminary Exam in 97th District Court for Evan Dixon has been rescheduled to 11 a.m., Friday, January 5, 2024, according to the Court’s Clerk office.

Court Clerk David Lamerand said that on Wednesday, the Court’s docket was modified for a number of reasons, leading to the changes.

Anna R. Talaska District Court Judge for the 98th District, Gogebic County will preside in the case, Lamerand said.

Dixon, 59, was arrested in November on charges of fatally shooting Theron Duncan, 53, of Houghton with a pistol at the Douglass House Saloon.

Dixon is charged with first-degree murder-premeditated, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and felony firearms, punishable by up to two years in prison.

Judge Nicholas Daavettila of 97th District Court, previously a local attorney, recused himself from further proceedings in the case, because he has known Dixon for about 30 years, working with him and later presiding over his cases.

A probable cause conference was scheduled for Dec. 1, but did not occur, said Lamerand.