Portland, Ore. – Lawyers for those who occupied a national wildlife refuge in Oregon this winter are concerned a jury comprised of people from the greater Portland area won’t be impartial.
The trial for Ammon Bundy and 25 others is set for September.
At Wednesday’s status hearing, a defense attorney suggested the possibility of a change of venue, and asked a federal judge to approve funding for an analysis of the media attention the case has received and possibly, a survey of community attitudes.
But U.S. District Court Judge Anna Brown seemed inclined to reject the funding, and said it was “totally speculative” to suggest a jury from Portland would be too liberal.