Loughner Trial May Move to San Diego
The Washington Post reports:
Federal authorities are planning to move the trial of the alleged gunman in the Jan. 8 mass shooting in Tucson to San Diego because of extensive pretrial publicity in Arizona, federal law enforcement sources said Sunday night.
Jared Lee Loughner, 22, is charged in federal court in Arizona, but court officials plan to move the case out of the state within several weeks, the sources said. They cited publicity and the sensitivity of the case in Arizona, where one of those fatally shot was John M. Roll, the state's chief federal judge.
The new chief judge, Roslyn O. Silver, will make the final decision about any venue change, but one law enforcement official said "it's going to happen. It's just a matter of time.''
Loughner is charged in the massacre that killed Roll and five others and wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz). Legal experts have said his lawyers are likely to seek a change of venue to ensure he receives a fair trial.
Federal officials said San Diego would get the case in part because it's one of the closest judicial districts to Arizona. A San Diego-based federal judge, Larry A. Burns, was appointed last week to hear the case because Arizona judges recused themselves. Judy Clarke, Loughner's attorney, is also based there. ...
