§ 131.355 Change of venue for prejudice

If you're facing criminal charges, you have the right to a fair trial with jurors who can judge your case honestly. Sometimes so many people in a county already have strong opinions about a case, maybe because of heavy news coverage or local gossip, that finding an unbiased jury there becomes impossible. When this happens, the defendant can ask the court to move the trial to a different county.

To get the trial moved, the defendant has to file a formal request called a motion. The judge then looks at the situation and decides if the prejudice in that county is serious enough to prevent a fair trial. If the judge agrees that the bias is too strong, the trial gets moved to another county where an impartial jury can be found.

This rule protects defendants from being judged by a community that has already made up its mind before the trial even starts. It gives them a real chance at a fair hearing, even if that means traveling to a different location for court.