Man on trial in Va. rally death denied new venue
Defense cites ‘prejudice’ in Charlottesville
The judge in the case of the Ohio man accused of killing counterprotester Heather Heyer declined the defense’s motion for a change of venue, according to the NBC29 TV station in Charlottesville, Virginia.
James Alex Fields, 21, faces first-degree murder and a number of other charges related to last August’s car attack on a crowd of demonstrators protesting a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville.
Fields’ attorney, Denise Lunsford, filed a motion Aug. 14 arguing that either the trial should be moved to another jurisdiction or jurors should be brought in from elsewhere.
“Community prejudice against Fields in the City of Charlottesville, the impact of the events on the Charlottesville residents and the widespread publicity this case has received are reasonably certain to prevent a fair and reasonable trial,” the motion reads. Lunsford presented more than 2,000 pages of news media articles to support her contention. The judge was not swayed.
Fields allegedly participated in a white supremacist demonstration Aug. 12, 2017, and is accused of ramming his car into the protesters later that day. More than two dozen were injured in the attack.
In addition to the first-degree murder charges in Charlottesville, Fields was charged with 30 federal hate crimes, which could carry the death penalty. He pleaded not guilty.