A blood test showing that Robert LaPointe was legally drunk after a fatal boat crash last summer will be allowed as evidence at the upcoming manslaughter trial, a judge ruled today.

LaPointe's blood alcohol content was 0.11 three hours after the crash, prosecutors say. A state chemist used a formula to estimate that LaPointe's blood alcohol content was possibly as high as 0.15 at the time of impact -- nearly twice the legal limit to operate a boat or car in Maine.

Also today, Cumberland County Superior Court Justice Robert Crowley said he will wait to rule on a separate motion filed by the defense, asking that the trial be delayed or moved out of Cumberland County.

LaPointe's lawyers claim the intense publicity following the crash has made it impossible for LaPointe to get a fair trial.

Crowley said any decision on changing the venue would likely happen at the start of jury selection in September. At that point, he would be able to gauge the impact of publicity on potential jurors, and to review the extent of pre-trial media coverage.